relate
Americanverb (used with object)
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relates,
present (3rd person singular)
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related,
past participle, past
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relating
present participle
verb (used without object)
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relates,
present (3rd person singular)
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related,
past participle, past
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relating
present participle
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to have reference (often followed byto ).
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to have some relation (often followed byto ).
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to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing.
two sisters unable to relate to each other.
verb
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(tr) to tell or narrate (a story, information, etc)
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(often foll by to) to establish association (between two or more things) or (of something) to have relation or reference (to something else)
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to form a sympathetic or significant relationship (with other people, things, etc)
Synonym Usage
Relate, recite, recount, rehearse mean to tell, report, or describe in some detail an occurrence or circumstance. To relate is to give an account of happenings, events, circumstances, etc.: to relate one's adventures. To recite may mean to give details consecutively, but more often applies to the repetition from memory of something learned with verbal exactness: to recite a poem. To recount is usually to set forth consecutively the details of an occurrence, argument, experience, etc., to give an account in detail: to recount an unpleasant experience. Rehearse implies some formality and exactness in telling, sometimes with repeated performance as for practice before final delivery: to rehearse one's side of a story.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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relaternoun
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misrelateverb
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prerelateverb (used with object)
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relatableadjective
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unrelatingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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relatesimple
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relatessimple
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have relatedperfect
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has relatedperfect
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am relatingprogressive
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are relatingprogressive
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is relatingprogressive
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have been relatingperfect progressive
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has been relatingperfect progressive
Past
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relatedsimple
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had relatedperfect
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was relatingprogressive
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were relatingprogressive
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had been relatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of relate
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin relātus, past participle of referre “to carry back” ( see refer)
Explanation
The verb relate means "to make a connection." If you can relate to someone's story, something like that has happened to you. Relate also means "to give an account of something verbally," like relating details of your trip to Sweden. That meaning of relate comes from the Latin word relatus, meaning "to recount, tell." If you talk about the federal budget crisis, people might not be interested until you relate it, meaning "explain the relationship between," to the possible job cuts at your local schools and police departments.
Vocabulary lists containing relate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Stamp Act (1765)
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
None of the allegations in our investigation relate to these instructors, but the four women say the convictions raise serious questions about the college's culture.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
To examine how sleep difficulties relate to health and quality of life, Eunjin Tracy, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development, studied survey responses from 67 older adults.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
But plenty of Gen Z-ers can relate to the “Brinity” couple putting their spending plans on hold while they sort out their debt load.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Entering his fifth and most pivotal season yet at USC, their father can relate to that sentiment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"But how did you relate the French Revolution to your own life, Sonia?"
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
It added: "The ruling relates solely to two individual content creators."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
“We can ship higher-quality products much, much more quickly, and that’s because of all the innovation that we’ve been pushing on as it relates to AI,” Owen Jennings, the company’s business lead, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
In other words, AI is unable to treat evidence — or people — equally with context and knowledge of how that evidence relates to the inequities built into museums and image archives themselves.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Mr. O’Connell relates this tale with verve, but also with impressive accuracy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Indeed. I’m heading to a meeting, but I’d like you to visit the librarians and see if they have something in Index 5 for GA3. Don’t ask me what it relates to.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Stephen Cloobeck — a one-time California gubernatorial candidate ensconced in Democratic political circles — pleaded not guilty to witness tampering charges Friday related to a burglary case against his former paramour, OnlyFans model Adva Lavie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“Trusts can be effective tools to help manage and protect your assets and may reduce or even eliminate costs related to wealth transfer, such as probate fees and gift and estate taxes,” according to Fidelity.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Neither man was charged with the manslaughter of Graven, also known as Jean Pormanove, after the prosecution said probable causes of death appeared to be related to his poor health and fragile heart.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Pledges related to Channel 5 will last until the end of 2034.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
What are the keys most closely related to E flat major?
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
He said he had faced "persistent challenges" with Ceredigion council's environmental health department, "primarily relating to documentation and a lack of understanding of our specialised procedures".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The incoming leader has not made any statements specifically relating to the group in Putumayo, however.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
The idea was that the board would be the forum where Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and other Middle East countries discuss political reforms, reconstruction, and other issues relating to long-term peace in Gaza.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
The FBI’s Phoenix office said some ransom notes relating to the February disappearance of Nancy Guthrie were potentially “legitimate,” while others have been discounted as “extortion attempts.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“It’s a very complicated situation. I can understand now why Janice has so many problems relating to people.”
From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
