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

Future

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 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

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

“Mea culpa” translates to “through my fault” or “my mistake.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 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

“It may have disabled the cameras as well,” Castor translates.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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

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

“That translated this year to lower auto rates and cash back in the form of a $5 billion policyholder dividend.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

This time, Jonah didn’t bother correcting Chip out loud, though his brain translated, You mean, your birth mother set up an adoption plan.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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

“That is translating into signed commitments on increasingly favorable terms from a broadening set of customers and is positioning CoreWeave to gain market share for years to come.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 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

They spent two mornings a week in the library with Dr. Perez and her flying llama translating all the different incants used by Marvellians from around the world.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

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