correlate
C1Formal to neutral. Common in academic, scientific, business, and technical writing; used less in casual conversation.
Definition
Meaning
To have a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things, where changes in one are associated with changes in another.
To establish or show a relationship or correspondence between data, facts, or variables. As a noun, it refers to each of two or more related or complementary things.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a mutual, statistical, or causal connection. The verb can be transitive ('correlate A with B') or intransitive ('A correlates with B'). It does not necessarily mean one causes the other.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The word is used identically in both varieties. Spelling differences follow standard patterns (e.g., '-ise/-ize' for verb suffix in BrE).
Connotations
Identical: implies systematic, often quantitative, analysis.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American academic and business publications, but common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
VERB + WITH (intransitive): Stress levels correlate with income.VERB + OBJECT + WITH (transitive): The study correlated test scores with study habits.NOUN + OF: A strong correlate of success was identified.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Go hand in hand (with)”
- “Tie in with”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to analyze market trends, e.g., 'Sales figures correlate strongly with our advertising spend.'
Academic
Central in research to describe statistical relationships, e.g., 'The hypothesis was that diet would correlate with longevity.'
Everyday
Less common; used for observable connections, e.g., 'I've noticed my mood correlates with how much sleep I get.'
Technical
Precise term in statistics (correlation coefficient), psychology, and sciences to quantify relationships between variables.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Researchers must correlate the new data with existing studies.
- Happiness does not always correlate with wealth.
American English
- The analyst will correlate market data with consumer surveys.
- Higher temperatures often correlate with increased energy use.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverb form; 'correlatively' is extremely rare and not recommended for general use.)
American English
- (No standard adverb form.)
adjective
British English
- The correlate findings were published in a supplementary report. (Rare as a pure adjective; often 'correlated' is used.)
American English
- They examined the correlate variables in a secondary analysis. (Rare as a pure adjective.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- A good diet often correlates with better health.
- Can you see any pattern that correlates with the problem?
- The study found that employee satisfaction strongly correlates with productivity.
- These two variables appear to correlate, but we need more data to be sure.
- Economists attempted to correlate fluctuations in the currency with political instability.
- A key psychological correlate of resilience is a strong social support network.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'CO-RELATE' – things that are RELATED TOGETHER (co-).
Conceptual Metaphor
CONNECTION IS A THREAD/LINK (weaving data together); RELATIONSHIP IS A PATH (two variables moving in parallel).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'коррелировать' in everyday speech; it sounds overly technical. Use 'быть связанным с', 'соотноситься с'.
- Do not confuse with 'coordinate' (координировать). 'Correlate' is about a mutual relationship, not organizing actions.
- The noun 'correlate' (коррелят) is rare in Russian; better to paraphrase: 'одно из связанных явлений'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'correlate to' instead of standard 'correlate with'. ('Correlate to' is occasionally used but 'with' is preferred.)
- Assuming correlation implies causation in writing (a classic logical error).
- Misspelling: 'corelate' (missing an 'r').
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'Smoking is a known correlate of lung disease,' what part of speech is 'correlate'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Correlation shows a relationship or connection where variables change together, but it does not prove that one causes the other. This is a critical distinction in science and logic.
'Relate' is broader and can mean to tell a story or establish any kind of connection. 'Correlate' is more specific, often implying a mutual, statistical, or quantifiable relationship between two or more comparable sets of data.
'Correlate with' is the standard and most accepted preposition. 'Correlate to' is sometimes used, especially in American English, but 'with' is preferred for clarity and consistency in formal writing.
Yes. As a noun, it means one of two or more related or complementary things. Example: 'An increase in screen time is a known correlate of sleep disturbance in adolescents.'
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