# relate

/ɹiˈɫeɪt/ (US) · /ɹɪlˈeɪt/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. to connect things

verb · CEFR B1

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

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

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

### 2. to understand someone

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

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

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

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

### 3. to tell a story

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

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

verb · CEFR B2

to behave toward other people or communicate with them.

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

- She finds it hard to relate to her colleagues because she is very shy.
- The workshop focuses on how managers relate to their employees during high-pressure project phases.

Usage: Intransitive; usually followed by 'to'.

## Examples

- It is hard to relate these two different ideas.
- Many teenagers find it difficult to relate to their parents because of the significant age gap and different life experiences.
- The study attempts to relate the recent increase in local temperatures to broader patterns of global climate change observed over the last century.

---

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.