translation

noun

trans·​la·​tion tran(t)s-ˈlā-shən 

tranz-

1

: an act, process, or instance of translating: such as

a

: a rendering from one language into another

also : the product of such a rendering

b

: a change to a different substance, form, or appearance : conversion

c(1)

: a transformation of coordinates in which the new axes are parallel to the old ones

(2)

: uniform motion of a body in a straight line

2

: the process of forming a protein molecule at a ribosomal site of protein synthesis from information contained in messenger RNA compare transcription sense 3

translational

tran(t)s-ˈlā-sh(ə-)nəl 

tranz-

adjective

Synonyms

• paraphrase
• rephrasing
• restatement
• restating
• rewording
• translating

Examples of translation in a Sentence

She is working on a translation of the novel.

a new translation of the Iliad

There were English translations on the menu.

the translation of economic power into political strength

Recent Examples on the Web

Zoom in: Axios reviewed screenshots of one of the Spanish-language messages and had a Spanish speaker on staff help with translation. —Melissa Santos, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

That’s according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language comments. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024

The department has a call center, where staff who speak these languages can assist people in their preferred language or help with translation. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

Accuracy is always the challenge with translation, but editing and tweaking translations are significant factors of time and cost more efficient than sourcing from scratch. —Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing translation

• in translation
• loan translation
• lose (something) in translation

Kids Definition

translation

noun

trans·​la·​tion tran(t)s-ˈlā-shən 

tranz-

1

: an act, process, or product of translating

2

: the process of forming a protein molecule from information contained in a messenger RNA molecule compare transcription sense 3

Medical Definition

translation

noun

trans·​la·​tion tran(t)s-ˈlā-shən, tranz- 

: the process of forming a protein molecule at a ribosomal site of protein synthesis from information contained in messenger RNA compare transcription

translational

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective