What does "relate" mean?

1. (to connect things) to show or find a connection between two or more things. 2. (to understand someone) to understand how someone feels or why they do something because you have felt the same way. 3. (to tell a story) to tell someone about an event or a story in detail. 4. (to interact with others) to behave toward other people or communicate with them.

How do you use "relate"?

Often used with the preposition 'to'. Intransitive; almost always followed by 'to'. Transitive; takes a direct object representing the story or information being shared. Intransitive; usually followed by 'to'.

relate

US //ɹiˈɫeɪt// UK //ɹɪlˈeɪt// re·late

1 to connect things (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to show or find a connection between two or more things.

to establish or demonstrate a logical or causal connection between two or more entities.

Example

It is difficult to relate these two events because they happened years apart.

Example

Researchers are struggling to relate the sudden drop in local temperatures to the broader patterns of global climate change.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'to'.
- separate
- disconnect
2 to understand someone (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

to understand how someone feels or why they do something because you have felt the same way.

to identify with or feel a sense of rapport with a person, situation, or idea.

Example

I can really relate to your problem because I had the same thing happen to me.

Example

Many younger viewers found they could relate to the protagonist's struggle to balance professional ambition with personal integrity.

Usage

Intransitive; almost always followed by 'to'.

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3 to tell a story (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to tell someone about an event or a story in detail.

to give an account of a sequence of events; to narrate or recount.

Example

He began to relate the strange things he had seen during his trip.

Example

The witness was asked to relate the exact sequence of events as they had unfolded on the night of the accident.

Usage

Transitive; takes a direct object representing the story or information being shared.
4 to interact with others (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to behave toward other people or communicate with them.

to interact or communicate with others in a particular social or interpersonal context.

Example

She finds it hard to relate to her colleagues because she is very shy.

Example

The workshop focuses on how managers relate to their employees during high-pressure project phases.

Usage

Intransitive; usually followed by 'to'.
- interact
- socialize

Origin

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.

Word family

Verbrelate
Nouncorrelate