relocate
B2Neutral to formal. Common in business, corporate, and administrative contexts; used in everyday speech when discussing moving house or job transfers.
Definition
Meaning
to move to a new place to live or work.
To move an operation, business, or piece of equipment to a different geographical location; to be moved to a new location. In computing, to load a program into a different part of memory.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a significant move, typically for work, opportunity, or necessity. It can be transitive (the company relocated its headquarters) or intransitive (we relocated to Scotland). The focus is on the process and decision of moving, not just the physical act.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning. 'Move' is more common in casual conversation in both varieties. In US business contexts, 'relocate' is extremely frequent for corporate moves and employee transfers.
Connotations
In both, carries connotations of corporate restructuring, career advancement, or lifestyle change. Slightly more formal than 'move'.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English, particularly in corporate and HR (Human Resources) discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Sb] relocate [to/from/in] (intransitive)[Sb] relocate [sth] [to/from/in] (transitive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms with 'relocate']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The firm will relocate its European HQ to Amsterdam. A relocation package is offered to employees.
Academic
The study examines the economic impact when industries relocate to developing nations.
Everyday
We're relocating to a bigger house in the countryside next month.
Technical
The system automatically relocates the data to a secure server.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council is relocating several families to temporary accommodation.
- Would you consider relocating for a promotion?
American English
- The tech company is relocating its headquarters from California to Texas.
- He relocated for his spouse's new job.
adverb
British English
- [Not a standard adverb form for 'relocate']
American English
- [Not a standard adverb form for 'relocate']
adjective
British English
- The displaced tenants received a relocation allowance.
- She was offered a relocation package.
American English
- We used a relocation service to help us move cross-country.
- The job offer includes full relocation assistance.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My uncle relocated to Canada.
- The company may relocate its factory next year.
- They decided to relocate to a quieter town.
- After the merger, the department was relocated to the main building.
- Many young professionals are relocating to cities with lower living costs.
- The government's controversial policy forced thousands to relocate from the floodplain.
- The software relocates dynamic libraries to optimize memory usage.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: RE-LOCATE = to find a LOCATION again. You are re-doing your location.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/COMPANY IS A MOVABLE OBJECT. (We can pick it up and place it somewhere else.)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'перелокализовать' – it's a false friend. Use 'переехать' (intransitive) or 'перевести/переместить (офис, производство)' (transitive).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I relocated my house.' (You relocate yourself/your family TO a house.) Correct: 'I relocated to a new house.'
- Incorrect: 'The office was relocated in Berlin.' (Use 'to' for destination.) Correct: 'The office was relocated to Berlin.'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'relocate' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Relocate' is more formal and often implies a planned, significant, or permanent move, especially for work or lifestyle. 'Move' is the general, all-purpose term.
No, it is commonly used for businesses, offices, factories, and even data or computer processes.
Rarely. It almost always requires a prepositional phrase (to/from/in) or an implied destination from context. (e.g., 'The company is relocating.' implies 'to a new place').
A set of benefits (money, help finding housing, etc.) offered by an employer to an employee who must move to a new location for their job.