translation

American  

[trans-lay-shuhn, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪ ʃən, trænz- /

noun

• translations
  plural

1. the rendering of something into another language or into one's own from another language.

2. a version of such a rendering.

   a new translation of Plato.

3. change or conversion to another form, appearance, etc.; transformation.

   a swift translation of thought into action.

4. the act or process of translating.

5. the state of being translated.

6. Mechanics. motion in which all particles of a body move with the same velocity along parallel paths.

7. Telegraphy. the retransmitting or forwarding of a message, as by relay.

8. Mathematics.

   1. a function obtained from a given function by adding the same constant to each value of the variable of the given function and moving the graph of the function a constant distance to the right or left.

   2. a transformation in which every point of a geometric figure is moved the same distance in the same direction.

9. Genetics. the process by which a messenger RNA molecule specifies the linear sequence of amino acids on a ribosome for protein synthesis.

---

idioms

1. lose something in translation. see lose in translation.

translation British  

/ trænsˈleɪʃən, trænz- /

noun

1. something that is or has been translated, esp a written text

2. the act of translating or the state of being translated

3. maths a transformation in which the origin of a coordinate system is moved to another position so that each axis retains the same direction or, equivalently, a figure or curve is moved so that it retains the same orientation to the axes

---

translation Scientific  

/ trăns-lā′shən /

1. Biochemistry The process in the ribosomes of a cell by which a strand of messenger RNA directs the assembly of a sequence of amino acids to make a protein.

2. Biochemistry Compare transcription

3. Physics Motion of a body in which every point of the body moves parallel to and the same distance as every other point of the body.

4. Mathematics The changing of the coordinates of points to coordinates that are referred to new axes that are parallel to the old axes.

---

Synonym Usage

Translation , paraphrase , version refer to a rewording of something. A translation is a rendering of the same ideas in a different language from the original: a translation from Greek into English. A paraphrase is a free rendering of the sense of a passage in other words, usually in the same language: a paraphrase of a poem. A version is a translation, especially of the Bible, or else an account of something illustrating a particular point of view: the Douay Version.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pretranslation
  noun
• retranslation
  noun
• translational
  adjective
• translationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• translations
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of translation

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin trānslātiōn- (stem of trānslātiō ) “a transferring,” equivalent to trānslāt(us) ( see translate) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English translacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above

---

Explanation

"C'est un dictionnaire en ligne." Don't understand? Here's a translation for you: "This is an online dictionary." A translation is the written or verbal rewording of something from one language into another that keeps the same meaning. A translation doesn't have to be strictly from one language to another; it can be a rewording that makes something easier to understand or less technical in nature, as suggested by the common phrase, "Can you translate that into plain English?" If what is translated takes a written form, as in a book, for example, then the object itself is called a translation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

translation translations

Stice-Lawrence, one of the lead researchers, calls the translation gaps a “canary in the coal mine.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

It doesn’t have a direct translation in English.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

The research, "Reverse transcribed ssDNA derepresses translation of a retron antiviral protein," was published in Molecular Cell on October 13, 2026.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

Icelandic Dracula: Shortly after Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published, a translation of the novel appeared in Iceland, with some very noticeable differences from the original.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026

Then the English translation of the letter emerges.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

LA28 looked at translations of the slogan in the next 14 most-popular languages within the Olympic and Paralympic movement, finding equivalent messages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

When doctors reviewed translations with high quality scores, they also found small but frequent mistakes in medication instructions, as well as in warnings about when to urgently return to the ER.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

But he had access to the myths of antiquity through the Latin texts he studied in grammar school, and in translations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The majority of the film’s narrative is communicated through on-screen text — translations of archival material, superimposed in English over their original printed matter.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

Notebooks lay scattered in all corners, and I saw his translations written on the open pages.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• adaptation
• explanation
• reading
• rendering
• rendition
• transcription
• version

---