participate

participate — verb

1. to join an event, discussion, or other activity by taking an active part in it.

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to join an event, discussion, or other activity by taking an active part in it.

Example

Maya participated in the school play by painting the stage after class.

participate in + event

Only three parents participated in the meeting about the new lunch plan.

participate in + meeting

Common collocations
  • participate actively
  • participate fully
  • participate in a meeting
  • participate in a survey
  • participate in a discussion
Synonyms
  • take part

    the closest everyday equivalent; slightly less formal

  • join in

    more informal; often used for games, songs, and shared activities

  • engage in

    more formal; common in writing about work, study, or discussion

  • contribute

    emphasises giving help, ideas, or effort rather than simple presence

Antonyms
  • opt out

    to choose not to take part

  • sit out

    to stay out of an activity or game for a period

Grammar Patterns

participate in + activity/event/discussion

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'in' plus the event, meeting, class, or discussion. Distinguish from 'join': 'participate' stresses taking part in the activity, not becoming a member of a group.

Common Mistakes

Many parents participated the meeting.
Many parents participated in the meeting.
'participate' is usually followed by 'in'.
I participated the basketball team last year.
I joined the basketball team last year.
'participate' means taking part in an activity, not becoming a member.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Participate' is the most formal everyday choice for joining an activity, meeting, or project and doing something as part of it. 'Take part' is the closest synonym and is slightly more neutral and conversational. 'Join in' is more informal and often suggests entering an activity that is already happening, such as a song, game, or chat. 'Engage in' is more formal and often appears in writing about study, debate, or social action. 'Contribute' is different: it stresses giving ideas, time, or effort, so a person can contribute a lot even if they are not central to the event. Compare: parents participate in a school meeting, children join in a playground game, and volunteers contribute food and time.

participate ↗take partjoin in ↗engage in ↗contribute ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • participate in class
  • participate in community events
  • participate in a survey

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

'Participate' came into English from Latin participare, a verb built from pars, meaning 'part', and capere, meaning 'take'. The basic idea was 'take a share in something'. That older picture still matches the modern meaning: when you participate, you do not just watch an activity happen around you; you have some role in it yourself.