interpretation
Americannoun
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the act of interpreting; elucidation; explication.
This writer's work demands interpretation.
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an explanation of the meaning of another's artistic or creative work; an elucidation.
an interpretation of a poem.
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a conception of another's behavior.
a charitable interpretation of his tactlessness.
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a way of interpreting.
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the rendering of a dramatic part, music, etc., so as to bring out the meaning, or to indicate one's particular conception of it.
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oral translation.
noun
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the act or process of interpreting or explaining; elucidation
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the result of interpreting; an explanation
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a particular view of an artistic work, esp as expressed by stylistic individuality in its performance
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explanation, as of the environment, a historical site, etc, provided by the use of original objects, personal experience, visual display material, etc
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logic an allocation of significance to the terms of a purely formal system, by specifying ranges for the variables, denotations for the individual constants, etc; a function from the formal language to such elements of a possible world
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of interpretation
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin interpretātiōn-, stem of interpretātiō; equivalent to interpret ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )
Explanation
When your favorite band covers a classic tune, their version is their interpretation — their translation — of the music. Is it better than the original? That's up for interpretation. Interpretation is the act of explaining, reframing, or otherwise showing your own understanding of something. A person who translates one language into another is called an interpreter because they are explaining what a person is saying to someone who doesn't understand. Interpretation requires you to first understand the piece of music, text, language, or idea, and then give your explanation of it. A computer may produce masses of data, but it will require your interpretation of the data for people to understand it.
Vocabulary lists containing interpretation
Argumentative Writing, List 2
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STAAR English I: The Language of the Test 1
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STAAR English II: The Language of the Test 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
China could afford to retreat because it had built a large cushion before the war—though exactly how large is up for interpretation.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
The better interpretation is that the expansion may be growing a new leg.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
“Whatever one’s interpretation of the relationships that she inhabits within the story, her influence was substantial,” Haig adds.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Timbre has been far more difficult to study because it involves higher level sensory interpretation and emotional response.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
This raises a larger issue in the interpretation of Kuhn.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
