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[trans-ley-shuh n, tranz-] /trænsˈleɪ ʃən, trænz-/
a version of such a rendering:
a new translation of Plato.
a swift translation of thought into action.
the act or process of translating.
the state of being translated.
Mechanics. motion in which all particles of a body move with the same velocity along parallel paths.
Telegraphy. the retransmitting or forwarding of a message, as by relay.
  1. a function obtained from a given function by adding the same constant to each value of the variable of the given function and moving the graph of the function a constant distance to the right or left.
  2. a transformation in which every point of a geometric figure is moved the same distance in the same direction.
Genetics. the process by which a messenger RNA molecule specifies the linear sequence of amino acids on a ribosome for protein synthesis.
Compare genetic code.
1300-50; < Latin trānslātiōn- (stem of trānslātiō) a transferring, equivalent to trānslāt(us) (see translate) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English translacioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above
Related forms
translational, adjective
translationally, adverb
pretranslation, noun
retranslation, noun
2. T ranslation , paraphrase , version refer to a rewording of something. A translation is a rendering of the same ideas in a different language from the original: a translation from Greek into English. A paraphrase is a free rendering of the sense of a passage in other words, usually in the same language: a paraphrase of a poem. A version is a translation, especially of the Bible, or else an account of something illustrating a particular point of view: the Douay Version. Unabridged
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Examples from the web for translation
  • translation is an art, but not every translator is an artist.
  • There was also the odd over-literal translation to figure out.
  • Statistical methods hold the promise of moving computerized translation out of the doldrums.
  • The court system's translation budget had trebled in five years.
  • The author mentions potential difficulties imposed by language translation barriers.
  • Instead, any such translation would produce singularities, or kinks.
  • It's also missing proteins for translation release factors unique to bacteria, making it unlikely the mealybug is supplying these.
  • The problem is likely more one of translation than one of intended meaning.
  • They understood in theory, but at the same time, they did not make the translation from theory to practice.
British Dictionary definitions for translation


/trænsˈleɪʃən; trænz-/
something that is or has been translated, esp a written text
the act of translating or the state of being translated
(maths) a transformation in which the origin of a coordinate system is moved to another position so that each axis retains the same direction or, equivalently, a figure or curve is moved so that it retains the same orientation to the axes
Derived Forms
translational, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for translation

mid-14c., "removal of a saint's body or relics to a new place," also "rendering of a text from one language to another," from Old French translation (12c.) or directly from Latin translationem, noun of action from past participle stem of transferre (see transfer).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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translation in Medicine

translation trans·la·tion (trāns-lā'shən, trānz-)

  1. The act or process of translating, especially from one language into another.

  2. The state of being translated.

  3. A translated version of a text.

  4. The process by which mRNA, tRNA, and ribosomes effect the production of a protein molecule from amino acids, the specificity of synthesis being controlled by the base sequences of the mRNA.

  5. Movement of a tooth through alveolar bone without change in axial inclination.

trans·la'tion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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translation in Science
  1. Biochemistry The process in the ribosomes of a cell by which a strand of messenger RNA directs the assembly of a sequence of amino acids to make a protein. Compare transcription.

  2. Physics Motion of a body in which every point of the body moves parallel to and the same distance as every other point of the body.

  3. Mathematics The changing of the coordinates of points to coordinates that are referred to new axes that are parallel to the old axes.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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