translator

American  

[trans-ley-ter, tranz-, trans-ley-ter, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪ tər, trænz-, ˈtræns leɪ tər, ˈtrænz- /

noun

translators plural

1. Also translater a person who translates.

2. Television. a relay station that receives programming on one frequency and rebroadcasts it at another frequency for improved local reception.

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translator British  

/ trænz-, trænsˈleɪtə /

noun

1. a person or machine that translates speech or writing

2. radio a relay transmitter that retransmits a signal on a carrier frequency different from that on which it was received

3. computing a computer program that converts a program from one language to another

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• translatorial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• translators
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

translator translators

Mendel Uminer, a translator, scholar and literary-journal publisher, did not have a Collyer situation when he received a sternly worded letter from his building’s management company.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

The crew has had the opportunity to work with teams from France and Mexico, communicating through a translator during outings with the search and rescue dogs.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

“It was confusing, because as the judge speaks, her microphone overpowers the translator on the video call,” Alberto said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

We have landed on an island called Guam, which no one can pronounce except Brother Quang, who becomes translator for all.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

They are both translators of the quotidian—the poet into art, something felt, the critic into explication, something understood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

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

Michael Frayn, in an afterword to his play Copenhagen, notes that several words in German–Unsicherheit, Unschärfe, Unbestimmtheit–have been used by various translators, but that none quite equates to the English uncertainty.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• linguist