paraphrase
Americannoun
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paraphrases
plural
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a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.
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the act or process of restating or rewording.
verb (used with object)
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paraphrases,
present (3rd person singular)
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paraphrased,
past participle, past
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paraphrasing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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paraphrases,
present (3rd person singular)
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paraphrased,
past participle, past
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paraphrasing
present participle
noun
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an expression of a statement or text in other words, esp in order to clarify
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the practice of making paraphrases
verb
Usage
What does paraphrase mean? A paraphrase is a restatement of a text in your own words while giving credit to the person who originated the thought. For example, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” You might paraphrase it in an essay by writing, “To paraphrase FDR, we have nothing to be afraid of, and we can’t let fear hold us back.”To paraphrase means to restate something in your own words. You might paraphrase complicated information in order to make it easier for your audience to understand. You also might paraphrase something when you can’t remember or can’t verify the exact wording. It’s important to remember that you still need to credit the originator of the statement you’re paraphrasing. Example: If you cannot remember the exact quote, you can paraphrase with precise detail.
Synonym Usage
See translation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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paraphrasernoun
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misparaphraseverb
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paraphrasableadjective
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paraphrasticadjective
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unparaphrasedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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paraphrasesimple
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paraphrasessimple
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have paraphrasedperfect
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has paraphrasedperfect
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am paraphrasingprogressive
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are paraphrasingprogressive
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is paraphrasingprogressive
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have been paraphrasingperfect progressive
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has been paraphrasingperfect progressive
Past
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paraphrasedsimple
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had paraphrasedperfect
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was paraphrasingprogressive
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were paraphrasingprogressive
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had been paraphrasingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of paraphrase
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French, from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek paráphrasis; para- 1 + phrase
Explanation
The verb paraphrase means to sum something up or clarify a statement by rephrasing it. So to paraphrase that explanation, it means to say something in other, simpler words. If you break paraphrase down, you end up with the prefix para, meaning "beside," and the word phrase — so think of paraphrase as coming up with similar, more simple phrases that go beside the ones already said. You might paraphrase your teacher’s lesson because you want to simplify her complicated technical language, or because you forgot exactly what she said but remember the general meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing paraphrase
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Vocabulary of the Common Core
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
To paraphrase the maxim falsely attributed to Lincoln, you can fool a whole bunch of the people for a hell of a long time, but you can’t fool all of them forever.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
To paraphrase stylist Bailey Rose Quiñones, they’re ready to shed old selves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
In striving for competitive advantage, recognize that, to paraphrase the Red Queen from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” it may take you all the running to just stay in the same place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
To paraphrase Eric Cantona, you can change most things in life but never your football team.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
He was the only person she ever knew who could paraphrase three authors into one sentence and have them all make sense.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
Early in the book, Justice Kennedy paraphrases long conversations with family, friends and mentors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
The passages contain phrases that match exactly, as well as apparent paraphrases and structural similarities.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 9, 2024
When it comes to motivating his children, Guy Fieri paraphrases the immortal words of Shaquille O’Neal: “If you want any of this cheese, you’ve gotta get two degrees.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
He likes a line that paraphrases the Book of Isaiah: “Over your cities grass will grow.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2022
In his twentieth year, giving up republicanism for ever, Moore came to London to study at the Middle Temple, and publish his translations, or rather paraphrases, of Anacreon.
From The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852 by Various
As paraphrased by Vogue, Anastasia says the tins are “all about reinventing the ordinary” into “something special and bespoke.”
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
Some responses are paraphrased for clarity or condensed for brevity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
It paraphrased him as saying that not everything that was being written was true.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
In the latter portions of the book, though, paraphrased conversations raise real questions—especially his conversations with Scalia, whom he recalls as a great friend, which is no doubt true.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
She quoted Frost; she misquoted Stevens; she paraphrased Rilke's description of love.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
On Bob’s podcast you said, paraphrasing, now that you have a special out you can put out more, so people get the opportunity to say I like the second special better while discussing and sharing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Sayers praised the art underlying the artifice, paraphrasing Aristotle on the practice of literary deception.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet was at the event, and in Tapper and Thompson’s paraphrasing, it made him consider “what Biden’s age likely meant when it came to the issue of immigration.”
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2025
“We live in a country where we don’t ask what we can do for our country,” Booker said, paraphrasing President John F. Kennedy.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025
“Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil,” he says, paraphrasing Matthew 6:13.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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