First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
relate
verb re·late \ri-ˈlāt\
: to show or make a connection between (two or more things)
: to understand and like or have sympathy for someone or something
: to tell (something, such as a story)
re·lat·edre·lat·ing
Full Definition of RELATE
transitive verb
1
: to give an account of : tell
2
: to show or establish logical or causal connection between <seeks to relate crime to poverty>
intransitive verb
1
: to apply or take effect retroactively —usually used with back <the law relates back to the initial date of decision>
2
: to have relationship or connection <the readings relate to his lectures>
3
: to have or establish a relationship : interact <the way a child relates to a teacher>
4
: to respond especially favorably <can't relate to that kind of music>
— re·lat·able \-ˈlā-tə-bəl\ adjective
— re·lat·er or re·la·tor \-ˈlā-tər\ noun
See relate defined for English-language learners
See relate defined for kids
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Origin of RELATE
Rhymes with RELATE
abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate
RELATABLE Defined for Kids
relate
verb re·late \ri-ˈlāt\
re·lat·edre·lat·ing
Definition of RELATE for Kids
1
: to give an account of : narrate <Each time he … cawed several times as if he were relating his adventures … — Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden>
2
: to show or have a relationship to or between : connect <The events are related.> <The lesson relates to history.>
Medical Dictionary
relate
intransitive verb re·late \ri-ˈlāt\
re·lat·edre·lat·ing
Medical Definition of RELATE
: to have meaningful social relationships : interact realistically <an inability to relate emotionally to others—Willow Lawson>
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