Word
participate
Definition
v. to join in an activity or event with others.
v. to take part in an activity, event, or collective effort. This is an intransitive verb that almost always takes the preposition 'in'.
Examples
“She wants to participate in the school play.”
“The teacher encouraged every student to participate in the classroom discussion to share their unique perspectives.”
“While many citizens vote in the national elections, fewer choose to participate actively in local town hall meetings where specific policy details are debated.”
Examples
simple
“She wants to participate in the school play.”
contextual
“The teacher encouraged every student to participate in the classroom discussion to share their unique perspectives.”
complex
“While many citizens vote in the national elections, fewer choose to participate actively in local town hall meetings where specific policy details are debated.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “participate” in context.
Adverb
01. actively participate
“Students are encouraged to actively participate in all classroom discussions.”
adv + verb
Usage
Always used with the preposition 'in' when followed by an object.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'attend'. Remind them that 'attend' means just being there, while 'participate' means being active.
Pitfall
She participated the meeting yesterday.
She participated in the meeting yesterday.
You must use the preposition 'in' after participate when mentioning the activity.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin participātus, the perfect passive participle of participō (“to take part in, share in, give part in, impart”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from particeps (“taking part (in), sharing (in); someone who takes part (in)”, particip- in compounds), from pars (“part”, part- in compounds) + -ceps (“which takes, taker”), literally “(someone) who takes part”; see part and capable. Compare Old English dǣlniman (“to participate”), an earlier calque of the same Latin verb.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
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- Register
- Academic, General-service
QR code
englishreference.com/q/participate
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0