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

When an interpreter was not available, hospital staff asked his teenage grandson to interpret for the family and tell Graham's deaf daughter that he might die.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Yet many investors tend to interpret those records as warning signs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

In his opening statement Monday, defense attorney Michael Sanft told the jury his client has a penchant for exaggeration and urged them not to interpret Davis’s statements about the shooting as fact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

"If congenital transmission can occur in non-venereal treponematoses, then we need to rethink how we interpret skeletal evidence in the past," Dr. Vlok explained.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

“You’ve got to learn how to interpret the signals your father gives off.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

AI software the company calls Hyperintuition interprets your movements to deliver the right force.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Saylor was keen to point out “systemically important banks like Morgan Stanley and Citi, all with intent to integrate bitcoin into their operations,” which he interprets as an “embrace of bitcoin as a creditworthy instrument.”

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

The device detects that change and interprets it as a touch.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026

That history of mistrust is an important backdrop to Thursday's escalation, shaping how Baku interprets every move coming from Tehran.

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 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

But GoPuff made another part of the bargain newly explicit: convenience was beginning to include having my wants interpreted for me.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

The news was widely interpreted as a signal that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was concerned about the recent surge in long‑end yields, says Kristina Clifton, FX strategist at CBA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

“The message was not being clearly interpreted about us being protective of whistleblowers,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Khokhar describes this as "vague" and raises questions about how it might be interpreted.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The man asked him in Russian a question that Powers interpreted to mean, "Are you an American?"

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

It has also since signed a contract with a sign language interpreting company.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

“In performing his music again, 70 years later, these artists are interpreting how his work impacts the music we have today.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Investors are interpreting the potential deal as one of the biggest examples of circular financing, Jefferies sell-side analyst Jeffrey Favuzza wrote in a Monday note.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Gustavo Duque, mayor of Chacao, a middle-class Caracas neighbourhood, urges caution in interpreting the red sign too simply.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

On learning of this request the crowd outside the Tribune booed and hissed, correctly interpreting the move as an attempt to gain time to lobby for more votes.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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