Synonyms

translate

American

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

verb (used with object)

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

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

to translate wishes into deeds.
to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.
to bear, carry, or move from one place, position, etc., to another; transfer.
Mechanics. to cause (a body) to move without rotation or angular displacement; subject to translation.
Computers. to convert (a program, data, code, etc.) from one form to another.

to translate a FORTRAN program into assembly language.
Telegraphy. to retransmit or forward (a message), as by a relay.
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.
to convey or remove to heaven without natural death.
Mathematics. to perform a translation on (a set, function, etc.).
to express the value of (a currency) in a foreign currency by applying the exchange rate.
to exalt in spiritual or emotional ecstasy; enrapture.

verb (used without object)

to provide or make a translation; act as translator.
to admit of translation.

The Greek expression does not translate easily into English.

translate British

/ trænsˈleɪt, trænz- /

verb

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

he translated Shakespeare into Afrikaans
his books translate well
(intr) to act as translator
(tr) to express or explain in simple or less technical language
(tr) to interpret or infer the significance of (gestures, symbols, etc)
(tr) to transform or convert

to translate hope into reality
(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
to move or carry from one place or position to another
(tr)
1. to transfer (a cleric) from one ecclesiastical office to another
2. to transfer (a see) from one place to another
(tr) RC Church to transfer (the body or the relics of a saint) from one resting place to another
(tr) theol to transfer (a person) from one place or plane of existence to another, as from earth to heaven
maths physics to move (a figure or body) laterally, without rotation, dilation, or angular displacement
(intr) (of an aircraft, missile, etc) to fly or move from one position to another
archaic (tr) to bring to a state of spiritual or emotional ecstasy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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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.

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Vocabulary lists containing translate

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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:

translate translates translated translating

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

Not all cancers do, and that implies the vaccine’s success in melanoma may not translate to other types of cancer it’s being tested in, such as renal-cell carcinoma and bladder cancer.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

But "higher oil prices is likely going to translate into higher prices for the consumer if it sustains at this level."

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Xiaomi reported another soft quarter as higher memory costs and intense competition weighed on its bottom line, and it remained unclear whether its fast-growing electric-vehicle business can translate sales growth into sustainable profitability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

“She’s saying it was the sheer joy of creation,” Lola said, as if Ivy needed her to translate for the androids.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Yet a decline in birth rates also translates to an ageing population across the Maghreb.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

For Roger Federer, who is reported to own about 3% of the company, that move translates into a roughly $50 million decline in the value of his holdings.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

There’s an earnestness in his appreciation of great literature that translates to his videos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

That translates to 36 hours of backup power for most homes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

When I was small, much younger than I am now, Pa told me that in a certain Chinese dialect my name, Loung, translates into “dragon.”

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

“I later realized that a lot of it translated into him worrying about losing me next.”

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

All the new companies and all the new energy in business hasn’t translated into a lot more hiring — and Levanon doesn’t think it will.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Our job now is to also think about how the information that we share is getting translated by other tools that didn’t exist, or weren’t on our radar, a few years ago,” Baden told Salon.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Were my number translated into dollars, it would buy you about three buckets of fried chicken.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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

Yet the dollar’s recent strength isn’t translating into much relief for Warsh ahead of his second rate-setting meeting as Fed chair, which concludes Wednesday afternoon.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

The pier receives an average of 27,000 to 38,000 visitors per day, translating to more than 10 million visitors annually, according to Pacific Park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

She taught her three children the art of debate and tutored them on current events, translating for Jim the images of famine and war that upset him on the TV news.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023