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Synonyms

interpret

American

[in-tur-prit] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪt /

verb (used with object)

to give or provide the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate.

to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable.
to construe or understand in a particular way.

to interpret a reply as favorable.
to bring out the meaning of (a dramatic work, music, etc.) by performance or execution.
to perform or render (a song, role in a play, etc.) according to one's own understanding or sensitivity.

The actor interpreted Lear as a weak, pitiful old man.
to translate orally.
Computers.
1. to use an interpreter to transform (a program written in a high-level language) into a sequence of machine actions, one statement at a time, executing each statement immediately before going on to transform the next one.
2. to read (the patterns of holes in punched cards) with an interpreter, printing the interpreted data on the same cards so that they can be read more conveniently by people.

verb (used without object)

to translate what is said in a foreign language.
to explain something; give an explanation.

interpret British

/ ɪnˈtɜːprɪt /

verb

(tr) to clarify or explain the meaning of; elucidate
(tr) to construe the significance or intention of

to interpret a smile as an invitation
(tr) to convey or represent the spirit or meaning of (a poem, song, etc) in performance
(intr) to act as an interpreter; translate orally

"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

Usage

What are other ways to say interpret?

To interpret is to give or provide the meaning of something, or to construe or understand something in a particular way. What’s the difference between interpret, elucidate, expound, and explain? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of interpret

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English interpreten, from Latin interpretārī, derivative of interpret-, stem of interpres “explainer”

Explanation

When you interpret something, you make sense of it. You could interpret a graph, a foreign language, or even Mona Lisa's odd smile. If you're ordering food in a foreign land, you may need someone to interpret the menu for you. When you get tripped up or struggle to understand a subject even in your own language — like calculus, for example — sometimes you can find meaning, or interpret it for yourself. Or sometimes you'll need a teacher to work on the problem with you, showing how to interpret the mathematical language.

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Vocabulary lists containing interpret

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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:

interpret interprets interpreted interpreting

“The author’s intentions mean something, but everyone is free to interpret things their own way.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Some unironic astrology: To celebrate Slate’s 30th birthday, Slate writer Heather Schwedel asked several astrologers to interpret the magazine’s birth chart.

From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2026

Not all forecasters use the same scale to interpret El Nino.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

The retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, requires substantial energy to convert incoming light into signals the brain can interpret.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

Gottman has taught his staff how to read every emotional nuance in people’s facial expressions and how to interpret seemingly ambiguous bits of dialogue.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Now, a Jefferies market intelligence analyst interprets the current wobble as one of the last attractive opportunities to build exposure ahead of what he expects to be a strong November and December.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

The immune system interprets this misplaced genetic material as a danger signal, triggering an inflammatory response.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

A "reasoning model" trained on task-specific examples interprets the goal and formulates Phantom's action plan.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Its on-board AI interprets the data, identifying objects even when mounted on autonomous craft with no remote connectivity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

For the King, or at least this is how Malory interprets him, was the patron saint of chivalry.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

From all accounts, ordinary citizens in 1787 interpreted “misdemeanor” as a minor crime but still a crime, just like today’s ordinary citizens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

"At the same time, the warning could be interpreted as stopping short of completely foreclosing inter-Korean dialogue: essentially telling Seoul not to interfere unless it has something substantial to offer."

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

“I’m a poor, humble man who wants peace,” Papi joked in Spanish as I interpreted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Critics interpreted the statue as a commentary on the consequences of blind allegiance to symbols.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Until Columbus demonstrated that classical geography was hopelessly misconceived, the assumption was that the arguments of the ancients needed to be interpreted, not challenged.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Severin added that the retired senior judges and leading barristers, who sat on the Commission, have "spent their careers interpreting complicated facts, dealing with witnesses and applying relevant weight to evidence".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Alan Mandell, an award-winning actor, arts patron and arts administrator, was best known for co-founding the San Quentin Drama Workshop and interpreting the plays of Samuel Beckett.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Those calculations were critical for interpreting the complex X-ray signals and uncovering the underlying behavior of the electrons and protons.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

The latest claims are once again highly personal in their attacks on King Charles and the royals, interpreting their motives in a very harsh light.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Predictably, the press began talking about “the New Fischer,” interpreting Bobby’s sartorial upgrade as a sign that he’d crossed into young manhood.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023