interpret
Americanverb (used with object)
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to give or provide the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate.
to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable.
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to construe or understand in a particular way.
to interpret a reply as favorable.
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to bring out the meaning of (a dramatic work, music, etc.) by performance or execution.
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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.
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to translate orally.
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Computers.
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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.
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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.
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verb (used without object)
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to translate what is said in a foreign language.
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to explain something; give an explanation.
verb
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(tr) to clarify or explain the meaning of; elucidate
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(tr) to construe the significance or intention of
to interpret a smile as an invitation
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(tr) to convey or represent the spirit or meaning of (a poem, song, etc) in performance
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(intr) to act as an interpreter; translate orally
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
- interpretability noun
- interpretable adjective
- interpretableness noun
- interpretably adverb
- noninterpretability noun
- noninterpretable adjective
- preinterpret verb (used with object)
- reinterpret verb
- self-interpreted adjective
- self-interpreting adjective
- uninterpretable adjective
- uninterpreted adjective
- well-interpreted adjective
Etymology
Origin of interpret
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English interpreten, from Latin interpretārī, derivative of interpret-, stem of interpres “explainer”
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.
Instead, a more helpful framework is to interpret the curve as a signal to help traders and end users of oil manage their inventories.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Any visible disagreement between them would be difficult for markets to interpret.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
It alters transfer RNA, the molecules responsible for helping cells interpret DNA and produce proteins correctly.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
"We don't want our teachers to interpret what the kids have written and give them the benefit of the doubt because they know them and they know they're trying hard," she said.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
After all these years, I could interpret his various silences.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
