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.

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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

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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 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

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

Where Unnamed often makes unexpected turns, Transit has stuck close to its original mission: to translate a handful of books a year, often works of translation themselves, with a certain aesthetic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Because only the Hollanders could understand the Dutch text, we would translate aloud in German.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Also among the top tier is an ultracompetitive nursing degree, which translates to an annual income at about $125,000, according to an analysis released Friday by the HEA Group, a national education research firm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

On a $250,000 account, that 1.2% translates to $3,000 a year.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

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

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

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

I don't speak Latin but have always assumed that the city motto translates to either Go Home or We Don't Like You, Either.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

It is derived from an Iroquoian word commonly translated as “lake of shining waters.”

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

Sometimes, those bios slightly vary in their syntax or have been translated into different languages, but they tend to remain consistent in details like song and city names.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

Cash generation was another key positive, and its higher dividend translated to 6% to 7% yield, reinforcing Cnooc’s appeal as a high-quality oil proxy with visible shareholder returns, it adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 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

“Darling momma, let me get in your lap,” the raps spelled as Kate translated.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

With Pratikshya again translating, I speak to Indumati's close friend Devisara Rana, whose husband and son are no longer with us.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Clinical geneticist Dr. Xiao P. Peng, who helped confirm Hinken’s family’s diagnoses, said the tools still make mistakes and are better at generating possible leads, translating complex medical jargon and compiling research than making diagnoses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Riley is betting big on that translating to the Trojans’ defense this fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 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

The cleric begins with a prayer in Urdu, translating everything into English for the many non-Urdu speakers.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

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