translator
Americannoun
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Also translater a person who translates.
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Television. a relay station that receives programming on one frequency and rebroadcasts it at another frequency for improved local reception.
noun
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a person or machine that translates speech or writing
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radio a relay transmitter that retransmits a signal on a carrier frequency different from that on which it was received
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computing a computer program that converts a program from one language to another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of translator
1350–1400; Middle English translatour (< Middle French ) < Late Latin translātor ( Latin: “one who transfers a thing”); see translate, -tor
Explanation
A translator is someone who conveys material communicated in one language such as English into another language — like French, Chinese, or Spanish — without losing the literal meaning or nuances of the original work. Ideally, a translator is fluent in at least two languages, so they can translate what is being said in one language into another language without changing its original meaning. The Latin root of translator is translatus, which means "carried over," and a translator who's good at her job carries the meaning over into a completely different language.
Vocabulary lists containing translator
Inside Out & Back Again
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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Unit 19, Lesson 4
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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:
The visit request had also included Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, Milei's sister Karina, who serves in his government, and a translator.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Bennett added that, despite requests, his father "was allowed no lawyer, no translator and no opportunity to defend himself".
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Rather, you’re looking for someone with innate curiosity who can act as a translator between business needs and technical capabilities, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
While Betts’ miscue broke up a perfect game, Yamamoto praised his teammates after the game and said via a translator on Dodgers SportsNet that they made a few key plays that “saved me.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
After he was introduced by a LiNK staffer, he said hello to the students in Korean and asked, through a translator, if they had any questions.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Because magnons naturally interact with many different quantum systems, they could also act as universal translators, allowing technologies that normally cannot communicate with one another to work together.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
We were staying in the same spot; we had translators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
The decade-long trial was beset by delays due to coronavirus disruptions and problems securing translators.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
It is anticipated that the services introduced under the bill - such as more translators and interpreters - will cost about £3m a year.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
But most people couldn’t afford that, and the translators had reputations for being fast-talkers.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
