relocate
ree-LOH-kayt
/ˌriː.ləʊˈkeɪt/
To move to a new place to live or work, or to move someone or something to a new location.
Neutral term that can describe voluntary job transfers or involuntary emergency movement to safer ground.
The story behind the word. Formed from Latin 're-' (again) and 'locare' (to place), derived from 'locus' (place). The word emerged in American English in the mid-19th century to describe moving businesses or households to new physical sites.
Word relationships
- resettle: 'Resettle' implies long-term or permanent establishment, whereas 'relocate' simply refers to moving position.
- transfer: 'Transfer' often applies to administrative shifting of staff or records, whereas 'relocate' emphasizes shifting living/operating sites.
- remain: 'Remain' means staying in the existing place.
Commonly confused with
- evacuate: To evacuate is to leave a dangerous site quickly; to relocate is to establish operations or living arrangements in a new site.
Word family
- relocation (noun): The act of moving to a different place.
Collocations
- relocate to
- decide to relocate
- relocate operations
- forced to relocate
Example sentences
- "The disaster recovery team decided to relocate crucial computer servers to an inland facility before the storm made landfall." Corporate emergency strategy
- "After floods ruined the valley town, the regional council decided to relocate the entire village onto higher ground." Community safety response
Memory hook
RE- (again) + LOCATE (find a spot) = finding a new spot to live. Reset your location.
When not to use
Do not use for temporary short stops like hiding under an umbrella for five minutes.
Fun facts
- The word became heavily popularized during the expansion of transcontinental railroads when towns literally shifted physical sites overnight.
Related words
Explore more words
settle, migration, migrate, resettlement, immigrate, transplant
Also appears in
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