# participate

/pɑɹˈtɪsəˌpeɪt/ (US) · /pɑːtˈɪsɪpˌeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/participate
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to take part in

verb · CEFR B1 · Academic · General-service

to join in an activity or event with others.

For teachers: to take part in an activity, event, or collective effort. This is an intransitive verb that almost always takes the preposition 'in'.

- Everyone in the class was encouraged to participate in the discussion.
- The researchers invited local residents to participate in the study by completing a detailed questionnaire about their daily habits.

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.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.