participate

verb

par·​tic·​i·​pate pär-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt 

pər-

participated; participating

transitive verb

archaic : partake

intransitive verb

1

: to possess some of the attributes of a person, thing, or quality

the individual man participates in the ideal man

—Frank Thilly

2

a

: to take part

always participates in class discussions

b

: to have a part or share in something

Your mother participates in this ambition …

—Edith Wharton

participator

pär-ˈti-sə-ˌpā-tər 

pər-

noun

Synonyms

• partake
• share

Choose the Right Synonym for participate

share, participate, partake mean to have, get, or use in common with another or others.

share usually implies that one as the original holder grants to another the partial use, enjoyment, or possession of a thing.

shared my toys with the others

participate implies a having or taking part in an undertaking, activity, or discussion.

participated in sports

partake implies accepting or acquiring a share especially of food or drink.

partook freely of the refreshments

Examples of participate in a Sentence

Most people joined the game, but a few chose not to participate.

eager to participate in the city's cultural life

Recent Examples on the Web

The group of political meetings comes as Trump is scheduled to be in Washington D.C. to participate in a moderated discussion at a quarterly meeting of the Business Roundtable, a group consisting of more than 200 CEOs. —Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 13 June 2024

Even if a candidate had participated with Van Meteren, his No Labels nominations appear to fall short in at least two areas, according to Johnson. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2024

Abdellatif participated in Chicago’s chapter of the organization and saw a need for a PCRF chapter in Milwaukee. —Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024

Over the past two years, the government has actively encouraged the population to participate in collecting aid for front-line troops fighting in the Ukraine war. —Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin participatus, past participle of participare, from particip-, particeps participant, from part-, pars part + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

participate

verb

par·​tic·​i·​pate pər-ˈtis-ə-ˌpāt 

pär-

participated; participating

: to take part or have a share in something in common with others

participate in sports

participation

-ˌtis-ə-ˈpā-shən

noun

participator

-ˈtis-ə-ˌpāt-ər 

noun