WordGarden.iorelate
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪlˈeɪt/
US
- /riˈleɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to understand or identify with someone's feelings or experience
to be connected with or be about something
to connect one thing with another in thought or explanation
More meaningsFewer meanings
to tell or recount something
Beyond the definition
To relate means to see or show a connection between things, people, ideas, or events. You might relate to a character in a book because their problems feel like your own. You can also relate two events by showing what they have in common. It can also mean being connected to someone by family, as in: "I'm related to the mayor."
The word often suggests understanding. If you can relate to someone's feelings, you understand what they are going through because you have felt something similar. It can also mean telling or sharing something. For example, someone might relate what happened at a meeting by explaining it to another person.
The word "relate" is surprisingly versatile! At its core, it means to find a connection or association between things. This can take many forms. You might relate an anecdote—telling a story that illustrates a point—or you could relate information from one source to another, showing how they connect.
But "relate" often goes deeper than just finding logical connections. It frequently implies understanding and empathy. When someone says, "I can relate," they mean they understand your feelings or experiences because they've gone through something similar. This is especially common when discussing personal challenges: "She really understood what I was going through; she could relate to my struggles."
"Relate" also has a more formal use referring to family connections. "Are you related to anyone in the company?" asks about familial ties.
As a verb, asking someone to relate something is a request for them to tell or recount it. "Please relate the details of your trip," means "Tell me about your trip."
Whether it's finding common ground, sharing experiences, establishing family ties, or simply recounting events, "relate" is all about connections—both tangible and emotional. It's a word that speaks to our need for understanding and belonging.
Examples
- 1
Shared experience
I could really relate to what she said about starting a new job.
- 2
Fiction characters
It’s hard to relate to characters who never make mistakes.
- 3
Student rules
This rule only relates to international students.
- Patternrelate to + topic
be about that topic
- 4
Online safety
The report looks at several issues related to online safety.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Social values
Many people relate money to success, but that idea can be harmful.
- Patternrelate A to B
connect one thing with another
- 6
Literature class
The teacher helped us relate the poem to our own lives.
- 7
Family connection
Are you related to the woman who runs the bakery?
- Patternbe related to + person
be from the same family
- 8
Formal account
In the interview, he related how he survived the storm.
- Usagerelate how/what...
tell or describe something, often formally
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- relate to
- relate directly to
- relate one thing to another
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- relateverb
Forms
- relatedpast tenseverb
- relating-ing formverb
- relatesverb