Locate: Definition, Usage & Example Sentences

Meaning 1：find the exact position of (locate)

locate 🔊

/ˈloʊkeɪt/

vt.

To find out where something is exactly.

Illustration of a person using a metal detector to locate a coin in a field.

find the exact position of 🔊

➕

/faɪnd ði ɪɡˈzækt pəˈzɪʃən əv/

vt.

To discover or determine the precise location of an object, place, or thing.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'locatus', past participle of 'locare' meaning 'to place'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'locate' as 'lock' + 'ate' – you lock onto the exact spot where something is.

📖 Example

Can you help me locate my keys? I think they might be on the kitchen counter. 🔊 Please assist me in finding where my keys are; I suspect they're on the kitchen counter.

🔗 Collocations

locate the source – find the origin or starting point of something

locate a place – find the position of a specific location

locate an object – find the exact spot of an item

🔄 Synonyms

find (vt.) – to discover something after searching for it

pinpoint (vt.) – to identify the exact location with high precision

discover (vt.) – to find something previously unknown or hidden

🚫 Antonyms

lose (vt.) – to be unable to find something that one had

misplace (vt.) – to put something in the wrong place and forget where it is

conceal (vt.) – to hide something so that it cannot be found

🌱 Derivatives

location (n.) – a particular place or position

locator (n.) – a device or person that finds the position of something

relocate (vt.) – to move to a new place or position

📖 Cultural Story

'Locate' originates from Latin 'locare' (to place). It entered English in the 16th century, evolving from 'to place' to 'to find the exact position of'.