hermeneutic

Also her·me·neu·ti·cal

[hur-muh-noo-tik, -nyoo-]

adjective

1. of or relating to hermeneutics; interpretative; explanatory.

hermeneutic

/ ˌhɜːmɪˈnjuːtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the interpretation of Scripture; using or relating to hermeneutics

2. interpretive

Other Word Forms

• hermeneutically adverb
• hermeneutist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hermeneutic¹

1800–10; < Greek hermēneutikós of, skilled in, interpreting, equivalent to hermēneú(ein ) to make clear, interpret (derivative of hermēneús an interpreter, itself derivative of Hermês Hermes ) + -tikos -tic

Example Sentences

In his book The hermeneutic of hope, he recalled how he had fought against a view prevalent among many faithful at the time that "we are born to suffer".

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The book became a manifesto for evangelical feminism, using a hermeneutic analysis of the Bible, interpreting the text by noting the context in which it was written and extrapolating its tenets to modern life.

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At this point in the book, this looks less like a hermeneutic move than like an expected reality.

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I’ll grant that “hermeneutic” isn’t an everyday word, and the way it was used in Christopher Buskirk’s April 18 op-ed, “The GOP’s political renaissance,” didn’t lend itself to understanding through context.

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Wrapped in hermeneutic enigmas, the objects emanate a poignant mix of beauty and mystery.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal