interpolate

American  

[in-tur-puh-leyt] / ɪnˈtɜr pəˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

interpolated, interpolating

1. to introduce (something additional or extraneous) between other things or parts; interject; interpose; intercalate.

2. Mathematics. to insert, estimate, or find an intermediate term in (a sequence).

3. to alter (a text) by the insertion of new matter, especially deceptively or without authorization.

4. to insert (new or spurious matter) in this manner.

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verb (used without object)

interpolated, interpolating

1. to make an interpolation.

interpolate British  

/ ɪnˈtɜːpəˌleɪt /

verb

1. to insert or introduce (a comment, passage, etc) into (a conversation, text, etc)

2. to falsify or alter (a text, manuscript, etc) by the later addition of (material, esp spurious or valueless passages)

3. (intr) to make additions, interruptions, or insertions

4. maths to estimate (a value of a function) between the values already known or determined Compare extrapolate

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Other Word Forms

• interpolable adjective
• interpolater noun
• interpolative adjective
• interpolatively adverb
• interpolator noun
• interpolatory adjective
• noninterpolating adjective
• noninterpolative adjective
• uninterpolated adjective
• uninterpolative adjective

Etymology

Origin of interpolate

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin interpolātus, past participle of interpolāre “to make new, refurbish, touch up,” equivalent to inter- “between, among, together” + -polā- verb stem (akin to polīre “to polish”) + -tus past participle suffix; inter-, polish

Example Sentences

To get around that issue, the BEA said that it will average September and November numbers to interpolate the October missing data.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

Is there a song in your mind that’s too sacred to sample or interpolate?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

A NeRF encodes the geometry of a scene into the weights of a neural network, which gives the model a strong ability to interpolate, or estimate, novel views of a scene.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2024

“Her outstanding skill is an ability to interpolate amusing, semi-improvised commentary within songs, in a variety of musical styles, that turns them into personal testimony,” he wrote in 1987.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2024

Here I must interpolate a few historical data of the greatest significance.

From The Secret of Sarek by Leblanc, Maurice