relocate

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "relocate" is a perfectly acceptable word in written English.
It means to move from one place to another. For example, "My family decided to relocate to a different city."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Although Seven was across the road from the Lindt cafe and in the prime position to film the ongoing action, it also had a huge disadvantage as it had to relocate its entire newsroom shortly after the crisis began.

The Guardian

Seven had to evacuate its Martin Place glass studios and relocate and build a temporary Sydney newsroom and TV studio in its corporate Pyrmont offices, all while staying on air and providing rolling coverage.

The Guardian

Related: Cannes 2015: 30 films we'd like to see The couple plan to relocate their family to America when Upton's STC tenure ends in late 2015.

The Guardian - Film

Tensions boiled over in 2007 when local Russians rioted over a government decision to relocate a second world war memorial in central Tallinn, the capital.

The Guardian

5. McNulty v Rawls Another example of the destructive power of personal rivalries – McNulty spends hours tracing tide patterns to relocate a murder into Rawls's district and Rawls refuses (for ages) to let McNulty work proper cases, despite it being his best shot at getting the murder rate down.

The Guardian

(The Claim and Trishna relocate The Mayor of Casterbridge and Tess of the d'Urbervilles to the Sierra Nevada and Rajasthan, respectively).

The Guardian - Film

The final-year performing arts student had to relocate just months later to the main campus in Canterbury, Kent, for her final year.

The Guardian

Davie flew to New York, where he persuaded the executive editor of Life magazine, Paul Mandel, a man with an eye for a good picture story, to relocate to London and help him with the first issues.

The Guardian

Ukip sensed a chance at victory among the disaffected Labour voters in the seat, which in various guises has been Labour for the past 50 years, ever since housing estates were built to relocate thousands of poor residents from central Manchester back in the early 1960s.

The Guardian

But the election result meant that Miliband never had the chance to make the offer, or relocate the "Edstone" to Downing Street.

The Guardian

European governments have additionally sought UN approval to take military action against people-smugglers operating out of Libya, while also outlining plans to relocate 40,000 refugees from Italy and Greece to elsewhere in Europe over the next two years.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "relocate" when referring to a significant change in residence or business location, especially when implying planning and intention.

Common error

Avoid using "relocate" when a simpler word like "move" suffices. Overusing formal vocabulary can make your writing sound pretentious.

Linguistic Context

Relocate functions primarily as a verb, indicating the action of moving or transferring from one place to another. As shown by Ludwig, it commonly describes the act of moving homes, businesses, or even abstract entities like newsrooms.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

31%

Science

31%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Relocate is a versatile verb used to describe the act of moving from one place to another, typically implying a significant change in residence or business location. As Ludwig AI confirms, the term is grammatically correct and frequently used in various contexts, particularly in news, business, and scientific domains. While interchangeable with simpler terms like "move" in some cases, "relocate" often suggests a planned and intentional change. When using "relocate", be mindful of the context and audience to ensure clarity and avoid unnecessary formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

move

A general term for changing location. It's broader than "relocate" and doesn't necessarily imply a significant change.

shift

A general term for changing location. It's broader than "relocate" and doesn't necessarily imply a significant change.

transfer

Suggests moving something or someone from one place to another, often within the same organization or system.

migrate

Implies a large-scale movement of people, animals, or data from one region to another.

resettle

Suggests establishing a new home or community after being displaced.

rehouse

Suggests providing new housing for someone, typically after displacement.

displace

Emphasizes the act of forcing someone or something out of their original location.

reassign

Suggests assigning someone or something to a new location or task.

reposition

Suggests moving something to a new location for a specific purpose, often strategic.

transpose

Indicates interchanging or swapping the positions of two or more things.

FAQs

How do you use "relocate" in a sentence?

"Relocate" is a verb that means to move to a new place. For example, "The company decided to "relocate" its headquarters to New York."

What's the difference between "move" and "relocate"?

"Move" is a general term for changing location. "Relocate" implies a more significant, planned, and often permanent change of residence or business location. Consider using "move" if you want something more generic.

What can I say instead of "relocate"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "move", "transfer", or "migrate".

Is it correct to say "relocate to" or "relocate in" a city?

The correct preposition to use with "relocate" is "to". For example, "They relocated to London", is correct, while "They relocated in London" is incorrect.