relatable

adjective

re·​lat·​able ri-ˈlā-tə-bəl 

1

: able to be related

especially : able to be shown or established to have a causal or logical connection to something

Some of these linguistic simplifications are directly relatable to the loss of certain language functions …

—William A. Foley

2

US : able to be related to : possible to understand, like, or have sympathy for because of similarities to oneself or one's own experiences

a movie featuring strong but relatable characters

Thriftier threads can make high-rolling politicos and their wives seem more relatable.

—Roya Wolverson

relatability

ri-ˌlā-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

He also maintained an outsized relatability, as the kind of guy who seemed more at ease with commoners than with any media elite.

—Richard Hoffer

Examples of relatable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Doherty, as Brenda, spent countless hours keeping us company on TV with an unforgettable and relatable portrayal of a teenage girl dealing with competing emotions — insecurity, angst and rebelliousness among them. —Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024

The hilarious, and somewhat relatable, moment a woman went to great lengths to hide her fast-food indulgence from her husband has left internet viewers in stitches. —David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024

In the past week, Harris has won a surge of attention online from people recasting odd or awkward public moments into memes or viral video clips that often burnish her as relatable and down to earth. —Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 9 July 2024

Look for birds in the morning and afternoon The best-selling author says finding birds is far easier in the early morning and afternoon for a simple (and relatable) reason. —Madeleine Janz, Peoplemag, 9 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1