relate

re·late

verb \ri-ˈlāt\

re·lat·edre·lat·ing

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

Examples of RELATE

1. You must be feeling awful. I went through something similar myself last year, so I can relate.
2. We listened eagerly as she related the whole exciting story.

Origin of RELATE

Latin relatus (past participle of referre to carry back), from re- + latus, past participle of ferre to carry — more at tolerate, bear

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to RELATE

Synonyms: bond, click, commune

Related Words: befriend; empathize, identify, sympathize

Near Antonyms: contrast, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, separate, set off

see all synonyms and antonyms

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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