relatable

[ ri-leyt-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. able to be connected or linked:

   The power of the drill is directly relatable to the amount of voltage stored in its battery.

2. easy to form a social or emotional connection with; appealing or sympathetic:

   She plays the sort of supremely relatable everywoman that moviegoers love and learn from.

Other Words From

• re·lat·a·bil·i·ty [ri-ley-t, uh, -, bil, -i-tee] noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of relatable¹

relat(e) ( def ) + -able ( def )

Example Sentences

The theme of Christmas gone wrong was highly relatable to Swiss director Simon Otto, who has previously worked as an animator on How to Train Your Dragon and Enchanted.

From BBC

Adults will readily admit watching “Bluey” with their kids, noting how the family dynamics feel real and relatable.

From Los Angeles Times

I found this immediately relatable, and not solely because I have spent many months on a similar project dedicated to a past relationship.

From Los Angeles Times

He engaged Trump in a conversation that made him sound normal and relatable.

From Salon

It’s a dysfunctional relationship and I think it’s relatable to a lot of people.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• engaging

More About Relatable

What does relatable mean?

If something is relatable, it means you can relate to it—you can identify with it because you’ve experienced it or something similar.

Relatable is the adjective form of relate, one meaning of which is to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing. Saying something is relatable is the same as saying that you can relate to it.

Relatable can also mean able to be expressed or described, as in Complex concepts like this are not easily relatable in such a short amount of time.

It can also mean able to be connected to something else, as in The two events are not so easily relatable—it’s not a simple case of cause and effect. 

Example: The part in the movie when she hit the snooze button 10 times was so relatable—I do that all the time!

Where does relatable come from?

The first record of relatable comes from the 1620s. The word relate is first recorded in the 1490s and derives from the Latin relatus, meaning “brought back.” It comes from the Latin verb referre, which means “to carry back” and is the basis of the word refer.

In everyday conversation, the word relatable has become a popular way to describe a person or thing as one you identify with—one that gives you a feeling of familiarity. People who are relatable are people who seem a lot like you, especially in relation to the things they do or have experienced. You’re most likely to become friends with someone who’s relatable because it means you have a lot in common.

Certain aspects of pop culture, like scenes from TV or movies, are called relatable when they remind you of real life. Fictional characters are called relatable when they do the things you would do, say the things you would say, and feel the things you feel. Celebrities live very different lifestyles than the average person, but they can be described as relatable when they seem like regular, down-to-earth people.

On social media, relatable gets used (often as a #relatable) to sympathize with posts about things that people have done or are going through, especially embarrassing situations or awkward moments. Because we’ve all been there, and we can relate.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of relatable?

• relate (verb)
• relatability (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with relatable? 

• relation
• refer

What are some words that often get used in discussing relatable?

• identify
• experience
• common
• share
• understandable
• sympathetic
• explain
• reference

How is relatable used in real life?

Relatable is commonly used in discussions and comments about how an experience is very familiar to one’s own.

Gordon Freeman is the most relatable video game protagonist because he was just some dude going to work

— Vomit Dragon (@Vomit_Dragon) March 12, 2020

A very relatable article for me. Maybe you will appreciate this too. https://t.co/zVe5ZHOqkZ

— Lori Joseph (@PoetLoriJoseph) April 10, 2020

Even though #topchefmasters has much higher caliber chefs, they are a lot less relatable in terms of engaging a 21 year old.

— Max Nevins (@MaxNevins) April 7, 2011

 

 

Try using relatable!

Is the word relatable used correctly in the following sentence?

I just saw the most relatable post about dating—it’s like I could have written it myself!