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

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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

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 author, 71, has written 179 books, which have been translated into 43 languages. — Samantha Leach, Glamour, "How The Hell Has Danielle Steel Managed to Write 179 Books?," 9 May 2019 Most genes encode proteins and are transcribed from DNA into RNA before they're translated into a protein. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Autism involves a large-scale reduction in RNA editing," 21 Dec. 2018 This short book, beautifully translated by Sam Taylor,... — Moira Hodgson, WSJ, "‘The Cook’ Review: A Foreign Tongue," 22 Mar. 2019 The book is translated into English by Lisa Hayden. — Maria Danilova, The Seattle Times, "Russian novel tells story of survival, love in Stalin’s camp," 14 Jan. 2019 In 2015, Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem (translated into English by Ken Liu), earned science fiction’s highest honor: the Hugo Award for Best Novel. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "From the author of The Three-Body Problem," 15 Sep. 2018 Her answer was translated by Irene Perdomo, one of the mayor’s aides. — Otis R. Taylor Jr., SFChronicle.com, "Richmond’s Mayor Butt meets ICE detainees," 12 July 2018 The journals have now been edited and translated into English by archivist and historian Ze'ev Rosenkranz. — Judith Vonberg, CNN, "Albert Einstein railed against racism. Now, his travel diaries reveal he had a racist streak," 14 June 2018 Carr’s intentions were clearly good, but the campy tone of BBB did not translate to the Oscars stage. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why the 2019 Oscars Don't Have a Host—And the Disaster That Ensued Last Time It Happened," 24 Feb. 2019

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.