# translator

/tɹænˈsɫeɪtɝ/ (US) · /tɹænslˈeɪtɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/translator
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 2. software or device

noun · CEFR B1

a computer program or a small electronic device that changes words into another language.

For teachers: an application or hardware device that performs automated machine translation between languages.

- I used an online translator to read the menu in French.
- Modern neural machine translators have significantly improved the accuracy of technical documentation across multiple language pairs.

### 3. programming tool

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a program that changes computer code from one programming language into another.

For teachers: a computer program that converts code from one programming language into another, such as a compiler or assembler.

- The software uses a translator to turn the high-level code into machine instructions.
- The development team optimized the source-to-source translator to ensure the legacy code remained compatible with the new architecture.

### 4. signal repeater

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Technical

a device that receives a television or radio signal and sends it out again to reach a further distance.

For teachers: a low-power broadcast station that receives a signal from a primary station and retransmits it on a different frequency.

- The small town relies on a local translator to receive the city's news channel.
- The mountainous terrain necessitated the installation of several FM translators to provide consistent coverage to the remote valley communities.

## Examples

- She works as a freelance translator for a publishing company.
- The online translator struggled with the technical jargon in the manual, so we hired a professional to check it.
- A skilled literary translator does more than swap words; they must preserve the tone, rhythm, and cultural nuances of the original manuscript for a new audience.

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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.