Synonyms

transliterate

American

[trans-lit-uh-reyt, tranz-] / trænsˈlɪt əˌreɪt, trænz- /

verb (used with object)

transliterated, transliterating

to change (letters, words, etc.) into corresponding characters of another alphabet or language.

to transliterate the Greek Χ as ch.

transliterate British

/ trænzˈlɪtəˌreɪt /

verb

(tr) to transcribe (a word, etc, in one alphabet) into corresponding letters of another alphabet

the Greek word λογοσ can be transliterated as ``logos''

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

transliteration noun
transliterator noun

Etymology

Origin of transliterate

First recorded 1860–65; trans- + Latin lītter(a), litter(a) letter ¹ + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The city has asked translators to furnish names that are transliterated, a process that more closely approximates English pronunciations.

From New York Times

There’s a word in Japanese that transliterates to “komorebi” and refers to a phenomenon for which there is no single word in English: the quality of light as it filters through foliage.

From New York Times

She remembered seeing that her mother had transliterated the words in her score for Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” into Chinese, so that she could pronounce them correctly.

From New York Times

In it, a verse by Grade in transliterated Yiddish alludes to both his affection and ambivalence.

From New York Times

We transcribed every handwritten name on the lists into a database, transliterating them from Arabic to English.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023