interpretative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of interpretative
1560–70; < Latin interpretāt ( us ) past participle of interpretārī to interpret + -ive
Explanation
Something interpretative is helping you understand or make meaning. When you visit a national monument, you might not understand the symbolism until you read the interpretative signs that explain and interpret the monument for visitors. To interpret means "to translate or to explain." If you view an interpretative dance, the performers are interpreting the music with their physical movements. If you have a job working as an interpreter at the UN, you might have the interpretative task of assisting diplomats by translating what is said in one language into a language that another person can understand.
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.
Chief Justice Warren Burger’s majority opinion, which treats the actual language of the tax code as but a subordinate factor in the analysis, is a model of the dubious interpretative method then prevailing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
The British cast was different, but Friedman has been building on her understanding of the musical, probing deeper into its secrets and untangling its interpretative knots.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024
His death occurred just hours after speaking to a Times reporter about hiking in the heat while he took a break for some rare shade under a metal interpretative sign.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023
Language is tricky, nebulous, highly interpretative and emotional.
From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2023
The age of Civil War and Reconstruction, 1830-1900; a book of interpretative essays.
From The Negro in the United States; a selected bibliography. Compiled by Dorothy B. Porter by Dorothy B. Porter
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