relate

American  

[ri-leyt] / rɪˈleɪt /

verb (used with object)

related, relating

1. to tell; give an account of (an event, circumstance, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   repeat, detail, delineate, narrate

2. to bring into or establish association, connection, or relation.

   to relate events to probable causes.

   Synonyms:

   ally

   Antonyms:

   dissociate

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verb (used without object)

related, relating

1. to have reference (often followed byto ).

2. to have some relation (often followed byto ).

3. to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing.

   two sisters unable to relate to each other.

relate British  

/ rɪˈleɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to tell or narrate (a story, information, etc)

2. (often foll by to) to establish association (between two or more things) or (of something) to have relation or reference (to something else)

3. to form a sympathetic or significant relationship (with other people, things, etc)

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Related Words

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

• misrelate verb
• prerelate verb (used with object)
• relatable adjective
• relater noun
• unrelating adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Olaf's role is to investigate allegations of fraud that relate to the EU's budget, as well as corruption and serious misconduct within EU institutions.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

"In cancer, for instance, you want to understand how the interaction of cells may relate to some of them breaking away from a tumor and moving to a new place, becoming metastatic."

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

He thinks the discrepancy could relate to integration work associated with the close of two recent acquisitions.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The US ambassador to Peru, businessman Bernardo Navarro, last week issued a warning widely believed to relate to the deal.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

The young squirrel suddenly began to relate the saga of the Late Rose Summer Wars to the baby mouse.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• affect
• apply
• ascribe
• assign
• associate
• compare
• concern
• connect
• link
• pertain
• refer