eisegesis

[ahy-si-jee-sis]

noun, plural eis·e·ge·ses [ahy-si-jee-seez] /ˌaɪ sɪˈdʒi siz/.

an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text.

Origin of eisegesis

1890–95; < Greek eisḗgesis, equivalent to eis- into + (h)ēge- (stem of hēgeîsthai to lead) + -sis -sis

Related formsei·se·get·ic

[ahy-si-jet-ik] /ˌaɪ sɪˈdʒɛt ɪk/, ei·se·get·i·cal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for eisegesis

eisegesis

noun plural -ses (-siːz)

the interpretation of a text, esp a biblical text, using one's own ideasCompare exegesis

Word Origin for eisegesis

C19: from Greek eis into, in + -egesis, as in exegesis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for eisegesis

the reading of one's own ideas into scripture, 1878, from Greek eis "in, into" + ending from exegesis.