translation

American  

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

noun

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. lose in translation.

translation British  

/ trænz-, trænsˈleɪʃən /

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.

---

Related Words

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

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

Etymology

Origin of translation

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin trānslātiōn- (stem of trānslātiō ) “a transferring,” equivalent to trānslāt(us) ( 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

"We've been hunting for it for a long time. This discovery opens up a whole new chapter in understanding how the microbiome and our diet can influence the translation of our genes."

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

The complaint also argues that Jonasi presented his translation “as authoritative fact, not comedy,” so it shouldn’t get the 1st Amendment protections afforded to parody and satire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

William Tyndale’s English translation brought the text to ordinary churchgoers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

According to Ali Ansari, a historian of Iran at the University of St Andrews, the Persian translation of Trump’s 1987 book The Art of the Deal has attracted a following inside the Islamic republic.*

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026

And the translation of a boy screaming “I hate you. I hate you” to his father who cannot hear him would be simple for such a God.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

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