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translate

American  
[trans-leyt, tranz-, trans-leyt, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪt, trænz-, ˈtræns leɪt, ˈtrænz- /

verb (used with object)

translated, translating
  1. to turn from one language into another or from a foreign language into one's own.

    to translate Spanish.

  2. to change the form, condition, nature, etc., of; transform; convert.

    to translate wishes into deeds.

  3. to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.

  4. to bear, carry, or move from one place, position, etc., to another; transfer.

  5. Mechanics. to cause (a body) to move without rotation or angular displacement; subject to translation.

  6. Computers. to convert (a program, data, code, etc.) from one form to another.

    to translate a FORTRAN program into assembly language.

  7. Telegraphy. to retransmit or forward (a message), as by a relay.

  8. Ecclesiastical.

    1. to move (a bishop) from one see to another.

    2. to move (a see) from one place to another.

    3. to move (relics) from one place to another.

  9. to convey or remove to heaven without natural death.

  10. Mathematics. to perform a translation on (a set, function, etc.).

  11. to express the value of (a currency) in a foreign currency by applying the exchange rate.

  12. to exalt in spiritual or emotional ecstasy; enrapture.


verb (used without object)

translated, translating
  1. to provide or make a translation; act as translator.

  2. to admit of translation.

    The Greek expression does not translate easily into English.

translate British  
/ trænsˈleɪt, trænz- /

verb

  1. to express or be capable of being expressed in another language or dialect

    he translated Shakespeare into Afrikaans

    his books translate well

  2. (intr) to act as translator

  3. (tr) to express or explain in simple or less technical language

  4. (tr) to interpret or infer the significance of (gestures, symbols, etc)

  5. (tr) to transform or convert

    to translate hope into reality

  6. (tr; usually passive) biochem to transform the molecular structure of (messenger RNA) into a polypeptide chain by means of the information stored in the genetic code See also transcribe

  7. to move or carry from one place or position to another

  8. (tr)

    1. to transfer (a cleric) from one ecclesiastical office to another

    2. to transfer (a see) from one place to another

  9. (tr) RC Church to transfer (the body or the relics of a saint) from one resting place to another

  10. (tr) theol to transfer (a person) from one place or plane of existence to another, as from earth to heaven

  11. maths physics to move (a figure or body) laterally, without rotation, dilation, or angular displacement

  12. (intr) (of an aircraft, missile, etc) to fly or move from one position to another

  13. archaic (tr) to bring to a state of spiritual or emotional ecstasy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • half-translated adjective
  • intertranslatable adjective
  • pretranslate verb (used with object)
  • retranslate verb (used with object)
  • translatability noun
  • translatable adjective
  • translatableness noun
  • untranslatability noun
  • untranslatable adjective
  • untranslated adjective
  • well-translated adjective

Etymology

Origin of translate

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English translaten, from Latin trānslātus “borne across,” past participle of trānsferre “to bear across,” from trāns- trans- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry” ( bear 1 ); for the suppletive element -lātus, earlier tlātus (unrecorded), thole 2, tolerate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Our findings underscore the urgent need not only for increased awareness and understanding of endometriosis and menstrual health among healthcare providers, but for this to be translated into action," she says.

From BBC

He said he continued to pray for peace, diplomacy and the “well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice,” according to a translated statement.

From Los Angeles Times

"Right now, I need to wait and see how that pressure translates into concrete movement, while also gathering fresh information from the region and observing how the different key players are repositioning themselves," he explained.

From BBC

Yet, the show’s viewership and larger cultural conversation have yet to translate.

From Salon

"You're taking something in one language and translating it into another, nucleotides to amino acids."

From Science Daily