interrelate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Usage
What does interrelate mean? When things interrelate, they are closely connected to each other and may affect each other. Such things can be described with the adjective interrelated. Interrelate can also mean to cause things to become connected in this way. Interrelate and interrelated are used in situations in which two or more elements strongly influence each other or are closely linked to each other. For example, a study on unemployment and crime in a particular area may conclude that they interrelate. Saying that two things interrelate does not necessarily mean that one causes the other or that they cause each other (though in some cases this may be true). The word interrelate is typically used in the discussion of complex topics, such as economics, science, and politics. These often involve situations in which multiple things are happening at the same time. Things that interrelate can impact each other or work together to affect something else. For example, the economy is affected by many factors that interrelate, such as employment, interest rates, and inflation. These and many other factors interrelate to determine the overall state of the economy. Example: The strength of the hurricane depends on how several factors interrelate, including temperature and air pressure.
Other Word Forms
- interrelation noun
- interrelationship noun
Etymology
Origin of interrelate
First recorded in 1885–90; back formation from interrelated
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.
Ultimately, though, movies like these offer new shades not just of female-centered stories, but of how women can interrelate.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2023
"We framed the story from a female perspective to get a better understanding of how gender inequality and climate vulnerability interrelate."
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2023
She described “KICK” as a series of “self-contained, mythical, almost world-building exercises that interrelate to one another,” in a mid-November video interview, wearing a simple gray hoodie.
From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2021
If I were to say anything about reality, it’s that things influence and interrelate and cause increasing situational complexity.
From Time • Jun. 9, 2016
In humanistic nursing, phenomenological and existential currents interrelate.
From Humanistic Nursing by Paterson, Josephine G.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
