Meanings
present singular third person relates · participle present relating · participle past related · past related
- transitiveTo tell in a descriptive way.
The captain related an old yarn.
1 more example
Please relate the circumstances of your journey here today.
- intransitiveTo be relevant specifically to.
These regulations relate only to exported goods.
- transitiveTo bring into a relation, association, or connection (between one thing and another).
The use of video made it possible to relate the talk to the answers given to particular problems in the test. With this research design it was possible to relate changes in test score measures to changes in linguistic features[…]
2002, Paul Light, Karen Littleton, Learning with Computers: Analysing Productive Interactions, page 92 - intransitivejargonTo interact.
Children who find it hard to relate end up being inadequately socialized.
1 more example
'Men' and 'women' are separate and incomplete identities forced to relate in prescribed patterns.
1971, Jude, “Destruction of "Sexual Duality"”, in Body Politic, number 1, page 3 - intransitiveTo identify with; to understand.
I find it difficult to relate to others because I'm extremely introverted.
- obsoleteTo bring back; to restore.
Abate your zealous haste, till morrow next again / Both light of heaven and strength of men relate.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
verbmake a logical or causal connection
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinrelātus
- Englishrelate
From Latin relātus, perfect passive participle of referō (“carry back; report”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of refer. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prefer and prelate among others.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian описвам, свързвам
- описвам (opisvam)to tell in a descriptive manner
- свързвам (svărzvam)to give an association
- отнасям към (otnasjam kăm)to make a connection from something to something else
- свързан съм (svărzan săm)to have a connection
Catalan identificar-se (amb)
- identificar-se (amb)to identify with, understand
Chinese Mandarin 有關 /有关
- 有關 /有关 (yǒuguān)to have a connection
Dutch vertellen
- vertellento tell in a descriptive manner
Finnish tuoda mieleen, liittää
- tuoda mieleento give an association
- liittääto make a connection from something to something else
- yhdistääto make a connection from something to something else
- samaistaato make a connection from something to something else
- liittyäto have a connection
- yhdistyäto have a connection
- samastuato have a connection
- samaistuato have a connection
- vastatato respond through reaction
- reagoidato respond through reaction
- ymmärtääto identify with, understand
- samastuato identify with, understand
German berichten
- berichtento tell in a descriptive manner
Hebrew הזדהה
- הזדהה (hizdahá)to identify with, understand
Indonesian menjabarkan, berkaitan
- menjabarkanto tell in a descriptive manner
- berkaitanto give an association
- mengaitkanto make a connection from something to something else
- berhubunganto have a connection
- bergaulto respond through reaction
Italian riferire
- riferireto tell in a descriptive manner
Japanese 繋げる, 繋げる
- 繋げる (tsunageru)to give an association
- 繋げる (tsunageru)to make a connection from something to something else
- 結び付ける (musubi tsukeru)to make a connection from something to something else
- 関連付ける (kanren-zukeru)to make a connection from something to something else
Latin narrō, referō
- narrōto tell in a descriptive manner
- referōto tell in a descriptive manner
Māori āmiki, āmiku
- āmikito tell in a descriptive manner
- āmikuto tell in a descriptive manner
- whitito tell in a descriptive manner
Persian روایت کردن
- روایت کردنto tell in a descriptive manner
Portuguese relatar, relacionar
- relatarto tell in a descriptive manner
- relacionarto give an association
- identificar-seto identify with, understand
Spanish relatar, relacionar
- relatarto tell in a descriptive manner
- relacionarto give an association
- relacionarto make a connection from something to something else
- relacionarseto have a connection
Ukrainian розповіда́ти, розка́зувати
- розповіда́ти (rozpovidáty)to tell in a descriptive manner
- розка́зувати (rozkázuvaty)to tell in a descriptive manner
- асоціюва́ти (asocijuváty)to give an association
- пов'я́зувати (povʺjázuvaty)to give an association
- пов'я́зувати (povʺjázuvaty)to make a connection from something to something else
- відно́ситися (vidnósytysja)to have a connection
Welsh adrodd
- adroddto tell in a descriptive manner
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with relate
Anagrams
Cite this entry
relate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relate
“relate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “relate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relate.
Source: relate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.