Standard Lemma guide

correspond

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɒɹɪˈspɒnd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɒɹəˈspɒnd/
  • General-American, dialectal: /ˌkoɹəˈspɑnd/ of Canada
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-York-City: /ˌkɑɹəˈspɑnd/
  • New-Jersey: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-England: /ˌkɒɹəˈspɒnd/
  • Canada: /ˌkoɹəˈspɒnd/
  • rhymes with -ɒnd
  • CMU ARPABET: K AO2 R AH0 S P AA1 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be equivalent or similar in character, quantity, quality, origin, structure, function etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Qualifier: constructed with to

Examples

  • Coordinate term: equate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To exchange messages, especially by postal letter, over a period of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Qualifier: constructed with with

Examples

  • I've been corresponding with my German pen pal for three years.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To have sex with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

exchange messages

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • My Russian pen pal and I have been corresponding for several years

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: write, drop a line

5

verb

Meaning 5

be equivalent or parallel, in mathematics

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: equate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: equal, be

6

verb

Meaning 6

be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The two stories don't agree in many details
  • The handwriting checks with the signature on the check
  • The suspect's fingerprints don't match those on the gun

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: match, fit, check, jibe, gibe, tally, agree

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: equal, be

Narrower terms: consist, look, answer, coincide, align, correlate, parallel, twin, duplicate, square, corroborate, underpin, bear out, support, resemble, meet, fit, conform to, homologize, befit, suit, beseem, harmonize, harmonise, consort, accord, concord, fit in, agree, pattern, adhere, rhyme, rime

7

verb

Meaning 7

take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Because of the sound changes in the course of history, an 'h' in Greek stands for an 's' in Latin

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: represent, stand for

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: equal, be

History

Etymology

From Middle French correspondre, from Latin com- (“with”) + respondeo (“to match, to answer to”), equivalent to co- + respond.

Across languages

Translations

74 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَاثَلَ (māṯala) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Armenian: համապատասխանել (hamapatasxanel) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Belarusian: адпавяда́ць (adpavjadácʹ) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Bulgarian: отгова́рям (otgovárjam) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Bulgarian: съотве́тствувам (sǎotvétstvuvam) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Bulgarian: съотве́тствам (sǎotvétstvam) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Carpathian Rusyn: отвітити (otvityty) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Catalan: correspondre — to be equivalent or similar
  • Chinese Mandarin: 對應 /对应 (duìyìng) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Czech: odpovídat — to be equivalent or similar
  • Danish: korrespondere — to be equivalent or similar
  • Dutch: corresponderen — to be equivalent or similar
  • Esperanto: respondi — to be equivalent or similar
  • Finnish: vastata — to be equivalent or similar
  • Finnish: olla vastaava — to be equivalent or similar
  • French: correspondre (...à qqchose) — to be equivalent or similar
  • German: entsprechen — to be equivalent or similar
  • German: korrespondieren — to be equivalent or similar
  • Greek: αντιστοιχώ (antistoichó) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Hungarian: megfelel — to be equivalent or similar
  • Ingrian: vassata — to be equivalent or similar
  • Italian: corrispondere — to be equivalent or similar
  • Korean: 일치하다 (ilchihada) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Korean: 부합하다 (buhaphada) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Latin: constō — to be equivalent or similar
  • Latin: congruō — to be equivalent or similar
  • Polish: odpowiadać — to be equivalent or similar
  • Portuguese: corresponder — to be equivalent or similar
  • Russian: соотве́тствовать (sootvétstvovatʹ) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Russian: согласо́вываться (soglasóvyvatʹsja) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Russian: соотноси́ться (sootnosítʹsja) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Scottish Gaelic: freagair do/ri/air — to be equivalent or similar
  • Slovak: odpovedať — to be equivalent or similar
  • Spanish: corresponder — to be equivalent or similar
  • Spanish: equivaler — to be equivalent or similar
  • Swedish: motsvara — to be equivalent or similar
  • Swedish: stämma — to be equivalent or similar
  • Tagalog: sumulat — to be equivalent or similar
  • Thai: สอดคล้อง (sɔ̀ɔt-klɔ́ɔng) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Thai: สัมพันธ์ (sǎm-pan) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Ukrainian: відповіда́ти (vidpovidáty) — to be equivalent or similar
  • Arabic: راسَلَ (rāsala) — to exchange messages
  • Armenian: գրագրվել (gragrvel) — to exchange messages
  • Belarusian: перапі́свацца (pjerapísvacca) — to exchange messages
  • Belarusian: карэспандава́ць (karespandavácʹ) — to exchange messages
  • Bulgarian: кореспонди́рам (korespondíram) — to exchange messages
  • Danish: svare — to exchange messages
  • Danish: korrespondere — to exchange messages
  • Dutch: corresponderen — to exchange messages
  • Esperanto: korespondi — to exchange messages
  • Finnish: olla kirjeenvaihdossa — to exchange messages
  • French: correspondre (...avec qqun) — to exchange messages
  • German: korrespondieren — to exchange messages
  • Greek: αλληλογραφώ (allilografó) — to exchange messages
  • Hebrew: הִתְכַּתֵּב (hitkattév) — to exchange messages
  • Hungarian: levelezik — to exchange messages
  • Italian: corrispondere — to exchange messages
  • Japanese: 文通する (buntsū suru) — to exchange messages
  • Manx: co-screeu — to exchange messages
  • Māori: tautuhituhi — to exchange messages
  • Polish: korespondować — to exchange messages
  • Portuguese: corresponder — to exchange messages
  • Russian: перепи́сываться (perepísyvatʹsja) — to exchange messages
  • Russian: корреспонди́ровать (korrespondírovatʹ) — to exchange messages
  • Slovene: dopisovati si — to exchange messages
  • Spanish: escribir con — to exchange messages
  • Spanish: corresponderse — to exchange messages
  • Spanish: cartearse — to exchange messages
  • Swedish: korrespondera — to exchange messages
  • Swedish: brevväxla — to exchange messages
  • Ukrainian: листува́тися (lystuvátysja) — to exchange messages
  • Ukrainian: перепи́суватися (perepýsuvatysja) — to exchange messages
  • Ukrainian: кореспондува́ти (koresponduváty) — to exchange messages
  • Volapük: spodön — to exchange messages
Real reading context

correspond in complete knowledge articles