relate

B1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /rɪˈleɪt/ UK /ɹɪˈleɪt/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #7788

Meanings

1

verb
To understand and feel sympathy for someone or something.

I can really relate to how nervous she felt on her first day.
2

verb
To be connected with something, or to show a connection between things.

The questions all relate to the topic we studied last week.
3

verb
To tell someone about events or a story.

She related the whole story of her trip to her friends.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to be connected with... ally refer interrelate

More chronicle describe divulge recount state

Word family

Forms relatesrelating

Derived forms aforerelatedcorrelate interrelate irrelatemisrelaterelatabilityunrelate

Related forms refer referencerelatablerelaterrelation relationship relative

Etymology

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.

*telh₂- (bear) Proto-Indo-European relātus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# relate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** rɪˈleɪt
**IPA (UK):** ɹɪˈleɪt
**Frequency rank:** 7788

## Meanings
1. To understand and feel sympathy for someone or something.
2. To be connected with something, or to show a connection between things.
3. To tell someone about events or a story.

## Examples
- I can really relate to how nervous she felt on her first day.
- The questions all relate to the topic we studied last week.
- She related the whole story of her trip to her friends.

## Synonyms
- chronicle
- describe
- divulge
- recount
- state

## Derived Forms
- aforerelated
- correlate
- interrelate
- irrelate
- misrelate
- relatability
- unrelate

## Related Forms
- refer
- reference
- relatable
- relater
- relation
- relationship
- relative

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *telh₂- (bear)
- Root: relātus

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Relate comes 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. Modern senses include to understand and feel sympathy for someone or something. and to be connected with something, or to show a connection between things.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as aforerelated, correlate, interrelate, irrelate, misrelate, and relatability and related forms such as refer, reference, relatable, and relater.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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