interpretation

[in-tur-pri-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of interpreting; elucidation; explication.

   This writer's work demands interpretation.

2. an explanation of the meaning of another's artistic or creative work; an elucidation.

   an interpretation of a poem.

3. a conception of another's behavior.

   a charitable interpretation of his tactlessness.

4. a way of interpreting.

5. the rendering of a dramatic part, music, etc., so as to bring out the meaning, or to indicate one's particular conception of it.

6. oral translation.

interpretation

/ ɪnˌtɜːprɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of interpreting or explaining; elucidation

2. the result of interpreting; an explanation

3. a particular view of an artistic work, esp as expressed by stylistic individuality in its performance

4. explanation, as of the environment, a historical site, etc, provided by the use of original objects, personal experience, visual display material, etc

5. 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

• interpretational adjective
• noninterpretational adjective
• overinterpretation noun
• preinterpretation noun
• reinterpretation noun
• self-interpretation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of interpretation¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin interpretātiōn-, stem of interpretātiō; equivalent to interpret ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

But those remain very much open to interpretation.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law may appear an unlikely match for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government, but India has sought to seize the opening.

Read more on Barron's

He is using every back door, loophole and extreme interpretation of the law to expand executive power and smother the system of checks and balances.

Read more on Salon

“The administration is not engaged in good faith statutory interpretation — they’re engaged in linguistic manipulation of these statutes.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

An alternative definition is any full Moon within 360,000km of the centre of the Earth - and under this interpretation October's Harvest Moon would not qualify.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• analysis 
• clarification 
• explanation 
• judgment 
• meaning 
• perception 
• reading 
• translation