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

Rather than deal with subtitles or translations, the characters use accents when speaking English in the play but then remove them when speaking Farsi, thus replicating the experience of non-native speakers from the audience’s perspective. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025

That’s according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025

Questions included asking for a translation for a Palmyrene script, and hummingbird anatomy. —Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2025

But in 2016, artificial intelligence had opened new possibilities for machine translation. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025

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