translate

verb

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

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from translate

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

, (ˌ)tranz- \ noun

translatable \ tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-bəl

, tranz- \ adjective

translator \ ˈtran(t)s-ˌlā-tər

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

Synonyms & Antonyms for translate

Synonyms

paraphrase, rephrase, restate, reword

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

The boys can’t really be faulted for not being able to decipher the words of the song—because the movement, and its anthem, is meant to be pan-tribal, to inspire unity among Native nations, most renditions of the song do not translate it into words. — Rebecca Bengal, Vogue, "The Power of Nathan Phillips’s Song," 21 Jan. 2019 GreenTechMedia notes that Energy Vault has built a 1/7-scale version in Switzerland, but a good idea and a small demo don't necessarily translate to immediate success. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Battery idea: Hydroelectric pumped storage, but with bricks," 18 Nov. 2018 So right in the title of the original Murakami story is something that doesn’t translate culturally. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Steven Yeun on Burning, The Walking Dead, and changing roles for Asian-Americans," 4 Nov. 2018 But that diversity doesn't yet fully translate to our government. — Jill Filipovic, Harper's BAZAAR, "Your State-by-State Guide to Women Running in the Midterms," 31 Oct. 2018 Rogers had a 129-84-7 career record as a college coach, but his success didn't translate to the NFL. — Detroit Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, "Darryl Rogers funeral: Arrangements set for ex-Detroit Lions, MSU coach," 13 July 2018 The playbook didn’t translate to the NFL, where Kelly struggled from 2013-16. — Matt Murschel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "New coach Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins are No. 45 in 2018 preseason college football rankings," 13 July 2018 Really the only good news here is that having atopic dermatitis doesn’t usually translate into a 24/7 battle with dry, itchy, irritated skin. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What Causes Eczema, Anyway?," 13 July 2018 Behind him is rookie Domingo German, who has swing-and-miss stuff (10.5 whiffs per nine) but hasn’t translated that into reliable results (a 5.32 ERA and 11 homers given up in 64 1/3 frames). — Si.com Staff, SI.com, "Nine Innings: Solving the Yankees' Sonny Gray Problem, AL East Deciding Factors and Our Favorite Statcast Quirks," 2 July 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.