relate

[ ri-leyt ]
See synonyms for: relaterelatedrelating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),re·lat·ed, re·lat·ing.
  1. to tell; give an account of (an event, circumstance, etc.).

  2. to bring into or establish association, connection, or relation: to relate events to probable causes.

verb (used without object),re·lat·ed, re·lat·ing.
  1. to have reference (often followed by to).

  2. to have some relation (often followed by to).

  1. to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing: two sisters unable to relate to each other.

Origin of relate

1
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin relātus, past participle of referre “to carry back” (see refer)

synonym study For relate

1. Relate, recite, recount, rehearse mean to tell, report, or describe in some detail an occurrence or circumstance. To relate is to give an account of happenings, events, circumstances, etc.: to relate one's adventures. To recite may mean to give details consecutively, but more often applies to the repetition from memory of something learned with verbal exactness: to recite a poem. To recount is usually to set forth consecutively the details of an occurrence, argument, experience, etc., to give an account in detail: to recount an unpleasant experience. Rehearse implies some formality and exactness in telling, sometimes with repeated performance as for practice before final delivery: to rehearse one's side of a story.

Other words for relate

Opposites for relate

Other words from relate

  • re·lat·a·ble, adjective
  • re·lat·er, noun
  • mis·re·late, verb, mis·re·lat·ed, mis·re·lat·ing.
  • pre·re·late, verb (used with object), pre·re·lat·ed, pre·re·lat·ing.
  • un·re·lat·ing, adjective

Words Nearby relate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use relate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for relate

relate

/ (rɪˈleɪt) /


verb
  1. (tr) to tell or narrate (a story, information, etc)

  2. (often foll by to) to establish association (between two or more things) or (of something) to have relation or reference (to something else)

  1. (intr often foll by to) to form a sympathetic or significant relationship (with other people, things, etc)

Origin of relate

1
C16: from Latin relātus brought back, from referre to carry back, from re- + ferre to bear; see refer

Derived forms of relate

  • relatable, adjective
  • relater, noun

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