translate
verb
trans·late
tran(t)s-ˈlāt
tranz-;
ˈtran(t)s-ˌlāt,
ˈtranz-
translated; translating
1
a
: to turn into one's own or another language
b
: to transfer or turn from one set of symbols into another : transcribe
c(1)
: to express in different terms and especially different words : paraphrase
2
3
4
: to subject to mathematical translation
5
: to subject (genetic information) to translation in protein synthesis
1
: to practice translation or make a translation
also
: to admit of or be adaptable to translation
a word that doesn't translate easily
2
: to undergo a translation
translatability
(ˌ)tran(t)s-ˌlā-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun
(ˌ)tranz-
The translatability of other native two-dimensional designs into the commercial medium of silk screens, however, may not be so clearcut.
—Margaret B. Blackman et al.
translatable
tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-bəl
adjective
tranz-
The word is of Derrida's own coinage and is deliberately ambiguous (and therefore not translatable), being derived from the French …
—Ann Jefferson
… but the resultant information is spotty and not readily translatable into an average national trend.
—Barry Commoner
Cite this Entry
“Translate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/translate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.
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