translate

American  

[trans-leyt, tranz-, trans-leyt, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪt, trænz-, ˈtræns leɪt, ˈtrænz- /

verb (used with object)

• translates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• translated,
  past participle,  past
• translating
  present participle

1. to turn from one language into another or from a foreign language into one's own.

   to translate Spanish.

2. to change the form, condition, nature, etc., of; transform; convert.

   to translate wishes into deeds.

3. to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.

4. to bear, carry, or move from one place, position, etc., to another; transfer.

5. Mechanics. to cause (a body) to move without rotation or angular displacement; subject to translation.

6. Computers. to convert (a program, data, code, etc.) from one form to another.

   to translate a FORTRAN program into assembly language.

7. Telegraphy. to retransmit or forward (a message), as by a relay.

8. Ecclesiastical.

   1. to move (a bishop) from one see to another.

   2. to move (a see) from one place to another.

   3. to move (relics) from one place to another.

9. to convey or remove to heaven without natural death.

10. Mathematics. to perform a translation on (a set, function, etc.).

11. to express the value of (a currency) in a foreign currency by applying the exchange rate.

12. to exalt in spiritual or emotional ecstasy; enrapture.

---

verb (used without object)

• translates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• translated,
  past participle,  past
• translating
  present participle

1. to provide or make a translation; act as translator.

2. to admit of translation.

   The Greek expression does not translate easily into English.

translate British  

/ trænsˈleɪt, trænz- /

verb

1. to express or be capable of being expressed in another language or dialect

   he translated Shakespeare into Afrikaans

   his books translate well

2. (intr) to act as translator

3. (tr) to express or explain in simple or less technical language

4. (tr) to interpret or infer the significance of (gestures, symbols, etc)

5. (tr) to transform or convert

   to translate hope into reality

6. (tr; usually passive) biochem to transform the molecular structure of (messenger RNA) into a polypeptide chain by means of the information stored in the genetic code See also transcribe

7. to move or carry from one place or position to another

8. (tr)

   1. to transfer (a cleric) from one ecclesiastical office to another

   2. to transfer (a see) from one place to another

9. (tr) RC Church to transfer (the body or the relics of a saint) from one resting place to another

10. (tr) theol to transfer (a person) from one place or plane of existence to another, as from earth to heaven

11. maths physics to move (a figure or body) laterally, without rotation, dilation, or angular displacement

12. (intr) (of an aircraft, missile, etc) to fly or move from one position to another

13. archaic (tr) to bring to a state of spiritual or emotional ecstasy

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• translatability
  noun
• translatableness
  noun
• untranslatability
  noun
• pretranslate
  verb (used with object)
• retranslate
  verb (used with object)
• half-translated
  adjective
• intertranslatable
  adjective
• translatable
  adjective
• untranslatable
  adjective
• untranslated
  adjective
• well-translated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• translating
  present
• translated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• translate
  simple
• translates
  simple
• have translated
  perfect
• has translated
  perfect
• am translating
  progressive
• are translating
  progressive
• is translating
  progressive
• have been translating
  perfect progressive
• has been translating
  perfect progressive

Past

• translated
  simple
• had translated
  perfect
• was translating
  progressive
• were translating
  progressive
• had been translating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will translate
  simple
• will have translated
  perfect
• will be translating
  progressive
• will have been translating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of translate

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English translaten, from Latin trānslātus “borne across,” past participle of trānsferre “to bear across,” from trāns- trans- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry” ( see also bear ¹); for the suppletive element -lātus, earlier tlātus (unrecorded), see also thole ², tolerate

Explanation

To translate is to put into a different language or interpret. If your brother says, "Gee, Mom, all of my friends have really cool pets, like snakes and stuff," you can translate that statement to mean "I want a snake." Translate comes from the Latin translates, which means "carry across." The word isn't limited to talking about language. You can translate sales into dollars, or a play into a movie. When used that way, translate means changing something from one form to another.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

translate translates translated translating

While energizing to those who had been working on it, the result wasn’t going to translate into revenue anytime soon, which is what the company badly needed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

While some other prediction strategies depend on genetic testing, this method analyzes antibody patterns in blood, potentially making it easier to translate into clinical practice.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

According to Clecat, "whether higher logistics costs translate materially into consumer prices depends on the duration of the disruption, the commodity and companies' ability to absorb or pass on costs".

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

ServiceNow’s in-depth knowledge of how its customers operate will translate to sustained revenue growth and free-cash-flow expansion, he believes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

When a calculation is complete, all the user has to do is look at the final position of the stones and translate that into a number—a pretty straightforward operation.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

The project’s motto, “De novo. Come Novo,” translates as “Anew. As new” The original material palette of silk, wood, bronze, glass and carpet has been restored.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

That translates to around 1 percent of the executions carried out in that period.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

"This translates to about one in 17 dementia cases potentially being prevented," Hayes said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Now, the Do Hiemon - which roughly translates to "The Cooling Box" - is being rolled out in public spaces and sold to businesses.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

He translates my angry intestines, and with steely concentration draws a tangled knot of lines on his map—a path crossing itself over and over in every direction but straight.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

“The Mythos moment translated into mass-market acceptance that AI adoption needs security.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

So many times last season, Arsenal fans were criticised for their nervous energy and the way it translated to the team as they chased down that elusive league title.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

"Today's world is fluid and turbulent," he said in translated remarks provided by Indonesia's foreign ministry.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Transit recently released another Harpman book, “We Were Forbidden,” a trio of never-before translated novellas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

I start thinking I know more Spanish than I thought, because I’ve translated more words in the last hour than I did all last year in Spanish class.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Liz Ann Sonders has spent decades translating the complexity of financial markets into language that retail investors can actually use.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

The big picture, then, is that companies across the economy, not just those exposed to AI, are seeing solid demand, and that is translating into extraordinary profit and revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

He had been a tailor in Afghanistan, but also worked with military personnel, translating his native Farsi alongside Dari, Pashto, Urdu and Arabic.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Mizoguchi concluded, "Our study demonstrated significant changes in orexin neuron activity depending on expected rewards and the effort required, suggesting a potential mechanism for translating expectations into sustained action."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

Speaking it, writing it down, translating, and responding.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Related Words

• convert
• decipher
• put
• render
• spell out
• transcribe
• turn