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 ASA acknowledged in its ruling that the ad "did not explicitly recommend that consumers replace all conventional foods with Huel", but consumers could nonetheless interpret the anecdote as "an acceptable dietary practice".

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

But richer data, combined with AI’s ability to integrate and interpret them, also create a risk of false precision—recommendations that feel more individualized, and more certain, than the evidence warrants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

If a study ends before enough time has passed for that decline to become visible, researchers may incorrectly interpret some of the early increase as overdiagnosis.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

The county regulators interpret pesticide safety laws differently, are not required to justify fines and are not mandated to check a company’s statewide compliance history, the audit found.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Maldagha pressed her lips together to still their sudden trembling, and, in a gesture that pained Lazlo to interpret, laid a hand to her belly.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

The new chair has made a point of not providing his own economic forecasts or discussing how he interprets the most recent economic data.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

Together, these abilities suggest that traveling waves may be central to how the brain interprets incoming information rather than simply reflecting background electrical activity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

He explains the history, offers the evidence, interprets its meaning, outlines the plan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 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

“The appropriate monetary policy should not be interpreted as solely driven by the energy supply shock but rather requires a multi-pronged diagnostic assessment,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

The researchers emphasize that their findings should not be interpreted as a forecast of an earthquake date.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Nor should a survivor’s demeanor—including appearing detached, emotionless, or uncertain—automatically be interpreted as evidence of deception.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

The measure also states it “should be interpreted and implemented to afford the fullest possible weight to the interest of, and the approval and realization of, essential projects.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Such signs therefore cannot be full proofs but only indications; they have to be interpreted in the context.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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

"Accept that their facial expression may mean anything, and distract yourself internally from interpreting these facial expressions."

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The authors described complications in interpreting those results and concluded that the overall findings did not indicate genotoxicity.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

The companies said Wednesday that artificial intelligence is entering a new phase, as models move beyond interpreting words and images and instead begin to understand context and interact with the physical world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Piggy knelt by him, one hand on the great shell, listening and interpreting to the assembly.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

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