simple past tense and past participle of relate
"After I related my childhood story to the class, everyone nodded in understanding."
In plain English: To relate means to connect two things or people by showing how they are similar or linked together.
"The new policy is related to last year's budget cuts."
being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics
"painting and the related arts"
"school-related activities"
"related to micelle formation is the...ability of detergent actives to congregate at oil-water interfaces"
connected by kinship, common origin, or marriage
"As a cousin once removed, she is related to him through their shared family tree."
Standing in relation or connection.
"The detective found that the two seemingly unrelated crimes were actually connected by a single suspect."
In plain English: Related means two things are connected or have something in common.
"The two cousins are related on their mother's side."
Usage: Use related to connect two nouns that share a common link, such as family members or associated topics. Avoid confusing it with irrelevant when you simply mean something is not connected at all.
Derived from the Latin relatus, the past participle of referre meaning "to bring back," it originally described something carried or referred to again. The term evolved in English to denote things connected by blood, marriage, or a shared origin.