correlate

correlate — verb

1. If two things change together in a predictable pattern — for instance, education

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

If two things change together in a predictable pattern — for instance, education levels rising alongside average salaries across a population — they correlate.

Example

The researchers found that sleep quality correlated with exam results among the students.

correlate with + noun phrase for a shared relationship

In this region, average income does not always correlate with the cost of living.

Common collocations
  • correlate with
  • correlate closely
  • correlate strongly
  • correlate poorly
  • correlate significantly
Synonyms
  • relate

    broader and less technical; 'the two events relate to each other' can mean any kind of connection, not necessarily a measurable one

  • correspond

    suggests a matching or parallel pattern, often in ranking or position rather than cause and effect

  • coincide

    implies events happening at the same time rather than a statistical or causal link

Antonyms
  • diverge

    when two trends move in opposite directions instead of together

Grammar Patterns

correlate with

A and B correlate

be correlated with

Usage Note

Frequently used with the preposition 'with' ('X correlates with Y'). The passive form 'be correlated' is also very common: 'X and Y are correlated.' This sense does not take a direct object; it describes a natural relationship rather than an action of showing one.

Common Mistakes

The data correlates' (with only one item mentioned).
The two data sets correlate' or 'This data correlates with the other set.
You need at least two things to talk about a relationship between them.
The numbers correlate to each other.
The numbers correlate with each other.
The standard preposition is 'with,' not 'to.'

2. To show or prove that a meaningful link ties together several pieces of data or

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

To show or prove that a meaningful link ties together several pieces of data or events — for example, a researcher connecting air-pollution readings to hospital-visit records to reveal a shared pattern over time.

Example

The research team tried to correlate the patients' symptoms with their medical histories.

correlate + noun phrase + with + noun phrase

Analysts correlated the rise in online sales with the closure of local shops.

Common collocations
  • correlate data
  • correlate results
  • correlate findings
  • correlate variables
  • correlate responses
Synonyms
  • link

    less formal and less technical; 'link data to outcomes' is simpler but less precise than 'correlate'

  • connect

    broader — covers physical, emotional, and logical ties, not just statistical relationships

  • associate

    similar in meaning and register; 'associate' is slightly more common in everyday formal writing

Grammar Patterns

correlate + noun phrase + with + noun phrase

correlate + noun phrase + and + noun phrase

be correlated with

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense takes a direct object: someone correlates one thing with another. It often appears in academic or research contexts. The researcher is the subject performing the action of linking, whereas in sense 1 the things themselves simply relate passively.

Common Mistakes

The study correlated a connection between diet and health.
The study correlated diet with health.
'Correlate' already implies a connection, so adding 'connection' or 'link' is redundant.
The data correlates smoking to lung cancer.
The data correlates smoking with lung cancer.
Use 'with' (not 'to') when linking two things.

correlate — noun

Word family

  • correlation
    nounB2
  • correlated
    adjectiveB2
  • correlative
    adjectiveC1
  • correlational
    adjectiveC1
  • uncorrelated
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe a connection between two or more things, but they differ in precision and context. 'Correlate' is the most technical and specific — it implies a measurable, often statistical relationship in which changes in one thing are systematically linked to changes in another. 'Relate' is the broadest and most informal; any two things can be related, from ideas to family members. 'Correspond' suggests a matching or parallel arrangement, often in rank or structure — for example, job titles correspond across departments. 'Coincide' focuses on timing: two events happen at the same time without necessarily being causally linked. 'Parallel' describes a similar direction or pattern over time, like two trends rising together. 'Match' is the closest to 'correspond' but feels less formal. Use 'correlate' when you want to sound precise and data-driven; use 'relate' for general connections or everyday contexts.

relate ↗correspond ↗coincide ↗parallelmatch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • data
  • results
  • findings
  • variables
  • factors
  • scores
  • rates
  • levels
  • patterns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be correlated with
  • correlate highly with
  • fail to correlate

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'correlate' was formed in English in the mid-1600s from the Latin prefix 'cor-' (meaning 'together') and 'relatus' (the past participle of 'referre', meaning 'to carry back'). The literal sense is 'things carried back together' — two items that refer to each other. Its modern use in statistics and academic research dates from the late 19th century.