# translation

/tɹænˈsɫeɪʃən/ (US) · /tɹænslˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. changing languages

noun · CEFR B1

the act of changing words from one language into another language.

For teachers: the process of rendering text or speech from a source language into a target language while maintaining the original meaning.

- The translation of the novel into English took almost two years to complete.
- The committee debated whether the translation should prioritize literal accuracy or the preservation of the author's unique poetic rhythm.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'into' to indicate the target language.

Teaching tip: Distinguish between 'translation' (written) and 'interpretation' (spoken) in professional contexts, though learners often use 'translation' for both.

### 2. a translated text

noun · CEFR B1

a book, document, or piece of text that has been changed into a different language.

For teachers: the specific product or text resulting from the act of translating.

- I have two different translations of the Bible on my bookshelf.
- Scholars compared several nineteenth-century translations of the manuscript to identify where the original meaning might have been obscured.

Usage: Countable when referring to a specific version of a text.

### 3. moving something

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

moving something from one place to another without changing its shape or turning it.

For teachers: the act of moving something from one location to another; in geometry, a transformation that slides a figure in a specific direction.

- A translation moves every point of a shape the same distance in the same direction.
- The software calculates the precise translation required to align the two three-dimensional models without any rotational adjustment.

Usage: Used as a countable noun in geometry to describe a specific movement.

Teaching tip: This is a specialized sense; in everyday English, 'move' or 'shift' is much more common.

### 4. making proteins

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the process in a cell where a message is used to build a protein.

For teachers: the process by which a sequence of nucleotide triplets in a messenger RNA molecule gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids during protein synthesis.

- Translation is a key step in how our bodies use genetic information to grow.
- During translation, the ribosome moves along the mRNA strand, facilitating the assembly of a polypeptide chain based on the genetic code.

Usage: Uncountable in its biological sense.

Teaching tip: Often taught alongside 'transcription' in biology; learners frequently confuse the two terms.

## Examples

- The book is available in an English translation.
- The technical manual required a professional translation to ensure that the safety instructions remained accurate for international users.
- A successful translation must balance literal accuracy with the preservation of the original author's tone and cultural nuances, which often requires significant creative adaptation.

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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.