par ‧ tic ‧ i ‧ pate W3 AC /pɑːˈtɪsəpeɪt, pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt $ pɑːr-/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ participation , ↑ participant ; verb : ↑ participate ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of participare , from particeps 'taking part' , from pars ; ⇨ ↑ part 1 ]
formal to take part in an activity or event:
Some members refused to participate.
participate in
Everyone in the class is expected to participate actively in these discussions.
They welcomed the opportunity to participate fully in the life of the village.
► Participate is never followed immediately by a noun, or by ‘on’ or ‘to’. Say that you participate in something : More people should participate in elections (NOT More people should participate elections).
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say take part rather than participate :
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She refused to take part in any of the activities.
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THESAURUS
▪ participate formal to do an activity together with other people:
He always participates in classroom activities.
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The people should have the right to participate in discussions about their future.
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There are many ways people can participate in sports.
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Who will be participating?
▪ take part to participate in something. Take part is less formal that participate and is more common in everyday English:
Nearly 500 teams took part in the competition.
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She was asked to take part in a TV debate on drugs.
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Anyone who is over 18 can take part.
▪ play a part/role to take part in something in a useful way:
Everyone can play a part in improving the security of their neighborhood.
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Schneider played a key role in getting the organization started.
▪ be involved to take part in an activity in some way:
He has denied being involved in the murder.
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It was a big project and many people were involved.
▪ be active in something to actively take part in the work of an organization such as a political group or church:
He is very active in the church’s work with homeless people.
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She is no longer active in politics.
▪ compete to take part in a competition or race:
Athletes from all over the world will be competing.
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She’s hoping to compete in the Olympic Games.