interpretation

American  

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

noun

interpretations plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• interpretations
  plural

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

See Examples For:

interpretation interpretations

In essence, Nolan chose a superstar cast to drive home the interpretation of Homer’s saga as a legend about fame.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

Scientists initially classified the object as a supernova remnant, but that interpretation became less certain after emissions above 100 TeV were detected.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

It starts with everybody having a different perspective or interpretation of the Spirit of Cricket and very few people agree on that.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

She went all-out, enthusiastically applying a maximalist interpretation of Supreme Court precedents.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Linear B was inherently so ambiguous that it remained restricted to palace accounts, whose context and limited word choices made the interpretation clear.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

“The President and the Attorney General, subject to the president’s supervision and control, shall provide authoritative interpretations of law for the executive branch.”

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

As soon as we move from genetic data to their historical and social implications, interpretations become fragile.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026

Across the country, those parallel interpretations are also reflected in the structure of the celebrations themselves.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

When it comes to interpretations of the law, the Supreme Court's rulings are final – a point that was vividly illustrated for Trump, both to his joy and disappointment, on Monday.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

A cold wind that fluttered the pages of Desdemona’s dream book, which she consulted for interpretations to increasingly nightmarish dreams.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

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