translate

verb

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trans·late | \ tran(t)s-ˈlāt

, tranz-; ˈtran(t)s-ˌlāt, ˈtranz- \

translated; translating

Definition of translate

transitive verb

1a : to turn into one's own or another language

b : to transfer or turn from one set of symbols into another : transcribe

c(1) : to express in different terms and especially different words : paraphrase

(2) : to express in more comprehensible terms : explain, interpret

2a : to bear, remove, or change from one place, state, form, or appearance to another : transfer, transform translate ideas into action

b : to convey to heaven or to a nontemporal condition without death

c : to transfer (a bishop) from one see to another

3 : enrapture

4 : to subject to mathematical translation

5 : to subject (genetic information) to translation in protein synthesis

intransitive verb

1 : to practice translation or make a translation also : to admit of or be adaptable to translation a word that doesn't translate easily

2 : to undergo a translation

3 : lead, result —usually used with into believes that tax cuts will translate into economic growth

Other Words from translate Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about translate

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Other Words from translate

translatability \ (ˌ)tran(t)s-ˌlā-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

, (ˌ)tranz- \ noun

The translatability of other native two-dimensional designs into the commercial medium of silk screens, however, may not be so clearcut. — Margaret B. Blackman et al.

translatable \ tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-bəl

, tranz- \ adjective

The word is of Derrida's own coinage and is deliberately ambiguous (and therefore not translatable), being derived from the French … — Ann Jefferson … but the resultant information is spotty and not readily translatable into an average national trend. — Barry Commoner

translator \ ˈtran(t)s-ˌlā-tər

, ˈtranz- ; tran(t)s-ˈlā-tər , tranz- \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for translate

Synonyms

Antonyms

quote

Examples of translate in a Sentence

My client speaks only Spanish. Will you translate for me? The French word “bonjour” translates as “hello” in English. We need someone who can translate Japanese into English. We have translated the report. The book has been translated into 37 languages. Can you translate this technical jargon? Seventy million Americans—that translates into one American out of every four—are under the age of 24.

Recent Examples on the Web Supporters argue a higher minimum wage would translate into higher incomes for millions of low-wage employees, such as restaurant waiters, retail salespeople and child care workers, and thereby lift a lot of people out of poverty. — Felix Koenig, The Conversation, "Ensuring the minimum wage keeps up with economic growth would be the best way to help workers and preserve FDR’s legacy," 26 Feb. 2021 These mistakes translate to errors on-site and require additional hours and materials to fix. — Lori Moes, Forbes, "The Business Case For Digital Construction: Adjusting To The New Normal," 25 Feb. 2021 Now, Maddon wants to see how those gifts translate on the rubber for Canning over the course of a full 162-game season. — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, "Angels expect rising star Griffin Canning to provide stability in the rotation," 25 Feb. 2021 This study is promising and can help guide how people translate evidence into practice, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, who was not involved in the study. — Megan Marples, CNN, "Talking on the phone for 10 minutes could make you feel less lonely, study says," 23 Feb. 2021 Those higher Treasury rates generally translate into higher mortgage rates and corporate borrowing costs, so the surge could take some of the air out of bubbly housing and financial markets. — New York Times, "What the Bond Market Is Telling Us About the Biden Economy," 23 Feb. 2021 But the mechanism that traditionally helped college grads translate those higher incomes into a greater share of wealth has grown increasingly shaky for younger generations. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, "The college wealth premium is shrinking for younger Americans," 22 Feb. 2021 Third, how does that money that consumers pay to improve the system translate into projects? — Theodore J. Kury, Quartz, "How Texas and the rest of the US regulate electricity," 19 Feb. 2021 Politics and social action reside in the effort to bring such superficially appealing abstractions down to earth—to translate their meaning in concrete circumstances, and to set them against the shifting constraints of historical necessity. — Adolph Reed Jr., The New Republic, "The Retrograde Quest for Symbolic Prophets of Black Liberation," 17 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'translate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.