locate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "locate" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to finding or identifying the position of something or someone. Example: "Please locate the nearest exit in case of an emergency."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Less annoyingly, users of smart phones may choose to call up location-specific information, such as maps or traffic updates, or to locate a nearby restaurant.

The Economist

"Investigations are ongoing to determine where this murder took place, and our priorities are to locate Mr Jokubauskas and identify the body.

The Guardian

In this adventure, you sail to the Silver Bank in a liveaboard dive ship then, twice a day, move out on small boats to locate the whales.

The Guardian - Travel

Any weekday you will see actors wandering up and down, trying to locate their next interview among the coffee bars and models' studios.

The Guardian

Beatty said he had to draw on local law enforcement contacts and tip-offs to help locate the young man in the chaos of the city's overflowing jail system.

The Guardian

The Guardian was unable to locate contact details for Bouchey.

The Guardian

Murphy showed me what resembled a small aerial for an old-fashioned portable TV: it was a hand-held scanner mainly used by the US army to locate downed drones.

The Guardian

Santos ordered a massive search and rescue operation to locate and free the hostages while at the same time suspending peace talks with the Farc, which were scheduled to being a new round in Havana on Tuesday.

The Guardian

But it's the glints of an intrinsic decency Levi is able to locate in his fellow man, even under the shadow of the darkest evidence of his capacity for brutality, which form the heart of this tale.

The Guardian - Books

But the whistleblower claims a special team was set up – partly based at a Leicester call centre – to fast forward this process so that investigations to locate people would be launched, and the money then taken into company accounts over a much shorter timescale.

The Guardian - Money

Before 2008 all family tracing was done by refugee agencies, which still rely on paper forms and postal systems to try to locate people.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing instructions, use "locate" to clearly direct the reader to find a specific item or place. For instance, "Locate the power button on the back of the device."

Common error

In casual conversations, avoid using "locate" when simpler alternatives like "find" or "see" would sound more natural. Instead of saying, "I need to locate my keys", try "I need to find my keys".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "locate" is as a transitive verb, requiring a direct object. It signifies the action of finding or determining the position of something, as demonstrated in Ludwig's examples, such as "locate a nearby restaurant" or "locate Mr Jokubauskas". Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable status.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Less common in

Academia

1%

Encyclopedias

0.5%

Wiki

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the verb "locate" is a grammatically correct and widely used term, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, predominantly in news and media, to denote finding or determining the position of something. While alternatives like "find" may be more appropriate in informal settings, "locate" offers a precise and neutral tone suitable for professional contexts. Remember to use "locate" when precision is key and avoid overuse in casual speech. The term is frequently employed in journalistic contexts. Given its prevalence and versatility, "locate" remains a valuable term in both written and spoken English, with an emphasis on clarity and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

find

A general term for discovering the whereabouts of something.

discover

Implies uncovering something that was previously hidden or unknown.

pinpoint

Suggests identifying something with great precision.

detect

Implies finding something through careful observation or the use of technology.

determine the location of

A more formal and descriptive way of expressing "locate".

establish the whereabouts of

Similar to "determine the location of" but emphasizes finding someone or something that is missing.

track down

Implies searching for someone or something over a period of time.

ascertain

Suggests finding something out for certain, often through investigation.

unearth

Suggests discovering something that was buried or hidden, either literally or figuratively.

situate

Specifically refers to the placement or positioning of something.

FAQs

How can I use "locate" in a sentence?

You can use "locate" to indicate the act of finding something or determining its position. For example, "The rescuers are trying to locate the missing hikers" or "The company decided to locate its headquarters in New York".

What are some alternatives to "locate"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "find", "discover", "pinpoint", or "detect". The best choice depends on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "find" or "locate"?

"Find" is generally more common and less formal than "locate". Use "locate" when you want to emphasize the process of searching or determining the exact position of something. For example, "find a job" is more common than "locate a job", but "locate the source of the leak" sounds more precise than "find the source of the leak".

What's the difference between "locate" and "situate"?

"Locate" means to find something, while "situate" means to place something in a particular location or context. You "locate" your keys, but you "situate" a building on a plot of land.