translate

verb trans·late \ tran(t)s-ˈlāt , tranz- ; ˈtran(t)s-ˌlāt , ˈtranz- \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Examples: translate in a Sentence

Definition of translate

translated; translating

transitive verb

1 a : 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

2 a : 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

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translatability

play \(ˌ)tran(t)s-ˌlā-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē, (ˌ)tranz-\ noun

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translatable

play \tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-bəl, tranz-\ adjective

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translator

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

See translate defined for English-language learners

See translate defined for kids

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 of translate from the Web

That translates to a dividend yield of 3% which could yet rise higher: Samsung pledged in 2016 to return half of its free cash flow to shareholders annually, whether as dividends or through buybacks.

— jacky wong, WSJ, "Samsung’s Ever-Rising Profit Should Be Confined to Memory," 6 July 2018
That collaborative spirit also translates to the sound of her music, which Romero said is more or less genre-less.

— britt julious, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago band the Jellies want to capture the sound of life," 5 July 2018
Gentlemen, spending just two hours a week doing the dishes or putting the kids to bed, would translate into a ten percentage point increase in female labour participation, according to a World Bank study.

— The Economist, "Why India needs women to work," 5 July 2018
Freshness will translate to light tenderness when a farmers market eggplant is properly salted and cooked.

— evan kleiman, latimes.com, "Cucina Italiana: The joy of eggplant. Try making a timbale," 5 July 2018
That translates to the other members of the band and gives the music its emotional impact, the payload.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mickey Hart talks music, Grateful Dead, rhythm 'trancing' and giving Tipper Gore drum lessons," 5 July 2018
His innovative, offensive mind should translate well with young, talented quarterback Derek Carr.

— lindsay h. jones, USA TODAY, "Raiders training camp questions: Will Jon Gruden rejuvenate Derek Carr and Co.?," 3 July 2018
Neruda’s books, said to outsell all other poetry translated into English, are often household articles in their own right.

— benjamin kunkel, The New Republic, "The partisan world of Pablo Neruda," 2 July 2018
Fewer hours on-site translates into some saving on labor costs.

— michele lerner, sacbee, "Prefabs’ appeal is going up quickly," 29 June 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of translate

Middle English, from Anglo-French translater, from Latin translatus (past participle of transferre to transfer, translate), from trans- + latus, past participle of ferre to carry — more at tolerate, bear

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

See Words from the same year