Correlating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Determining how certain factors are associated with each other, indicating that variations in one may reflect variations in another
2. Analyzing the interdependency between multiple elements, implying that changes in one could impact the others significantly
3. Establishing connections between multiple variables, suggesting that alterations in one may influence or relate to changes in another

Etymology: "Correlating" is the present participle of "correlate," which is built from the prefix "cor-" (a form of Latin "com-," meaning "together" or "with") and "relate." The combination means, literally, to relate together, so the idea of two things being connected or varying in step is already present in the parts themselves. The "cor-" form appears before "r" in words borrowed from Latin, which is why the prefix shows up here as "cor-" rather than "con-" or "com-." "Relate" comes from Latin "relatus," the past participle of "referre," meaning "to carry back" or "to bring back," and it reached English through the Latin root that also gave us "relation" and "referral." Put together, "correlate" describes things carried back and forth against one another until their connection becomes visible.

Synonyms: connecting, linking, associating, relating, interrelating

Antonyms: disconnecting, separating, dissociating, isolating, diverging