interpreter

American  

[in-tur-pri-ter] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪ tər /

noun

• interpreters
  plural

1. a person who interprets.

2. a person who provides an oral translation between speakers who speak different languages.

3. Computers.

   1. hardware or software that transforms one statement at a time of a program written in a high-level language into a sequence of machine actions and executes the statement immediately before going on to transform the next statement.

   2. an electromechanical device that reads the patterns of holes in punched cards and prints the same data on the cards, so that they can be read more conveniently by people.

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interpreter British  

/ ɪnˈtɜːprɪtə /

noun

1. a person who translates orally from one language into another

2. a person who interprets the work of others

3. computing

   1. a program that translates a second program to machine code one statement at a time and causes the execution of the resulting code as soon as the translation is completed

   2. a machine that interprets the holes in a punched card and prints the corresponding characters on that card

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interpretership
  noun
• interpretress
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• interpreters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of interpreter

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English interpretour, from Anglo-French; equivalent to interpret + -er ²

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Explanation

An interpreter is someone who translates something to make it understandable, usually spoken language. When your class takes a trip to Russia, you’ll likely have an interpreter to translate Russian to English so you can understand what people are saying to you. Need to talk to someone who doesn't speak your language? You'll need an interpreter. Say you're interviewing a Bulgarian diplomat, but you don't speak Bulgarian. The interpreter would listen to a few sentences in Bulgarian and then repeat them in English, and then listen to your English response and repeat that in Bulgarian. We also use interpreter for artists who represent ideas or places in their work. If you paint industrial cityscapes, you're an interpreter of urban life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interpreter interpreters

That’s one reason federal law requires most providers to make healthcare communication meaningfully available in the language patients understand, via a human interpreter for spoken communication and a translator’s review for written information.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

“The results, take full responsibility,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Mr. Sun is an inspired interpreter of jazz history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

“As of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

He was a friend of our instructors and through an interpreter he told us a little about his life in the jungle.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Unlike spoken-language interpreters, ASL interpreters speak concurrently with their client’s signing, creating unique challenges.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

It is anticipated that the services introduced under the bill - such as more translators and interpreters - will cost about £3m a year.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

It means sign-language interpreters in classrooms, learning materials for visually impaired students, trained teachers and digital platforms designed with different users in mind.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

The exhibition introduces Williamsburg’s first interpreters: mostly older white women who, as costumed hostesses, were tasked with guiding visitors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

And since most hadn’t bothered to learn any of their host language on the journey, they all needed interpreters.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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