interpretation

American  

[in-tur-pri-tey-shuhn] / ɪnˌtɜr prɪˈteɪ ʃən /

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 British  

/ 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

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of interpretation

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

Explanation

When your favorite band covers a classic tune, their version is their interpretation — their translation — of the music. Is it better than the original? That's up for interpretation. Interpretation is the act of explaining, reframing, or otherwise showing your own understanding of something. A person who translates one language into another is called an interpreter because they are explaining what a person is saying to someone who doesn't understand. Interpretation requires you to first understand the piece of music, text, language, or idea, and then give your explanation of it. A computer may produce masses of data, but it will require your interpretation of the data for people to understand it.

Example Sentences

But as Justice Sonia Sotomayor explains, the case is also fairly cut-and-dried based on a Supreme Court interpretation of the statute dating back to 1950.

From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026

Warsh has signaled he favors the first interpretation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

“Whatever one’s interpretation of the relationships that she inhabits within the story, her influence was substantial,” Haig adds.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Timbre has been far more difficult to study because it involves higher level sensory interpretation and emotional response.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

But testing products or ideas that are truly revolutionary is another matter, and the most successful companies are those that understand that in those cases, the first impressions of their consumers need interpretation.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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