interpretation

American  

[in-tur-pri-tay-shuhn] / ɪnˌtɜr prɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• interpretations
  plural

1. the act of interpreting; elucidation; explication.

   This writer's work demands interpretation.

2. an explanation of the meaning of another's artistic or creative work; an elucidation.

   an interpretation of a poem.

3. a conception of another's behavior.

   a charitable interpretation of his tactlessness.

4. a way of interpreting.

5. the rendering of a dramatic part, music, etc., so as to bring out the meaning, or to indicate one's particular conception of it.

6. oral translation.

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interpretation British  

/ ɪnˌtɜːprɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of interpreting or explaining; elucidation

2. the result of interpreting; an explanation

3. a particular view of an artistic work, esp as expressed by stylistic individuality in its performance

4. explanation, as of the environment, a historical site, etc, provided by the use of original objects, personal experience, visual display material, etc

5. logic an allocation of significance to the terms of a purely formal system, by specifying ranges for the variables, denotations for the individual constants, etc; a function from the formal language to such elements of a possible world

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overinterpretation
  noun
• preinterpretation
  noun
• reinterpretation
  noun
• self-interpretation
  noun
• interpretational
  adjective
• noninterpretational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• interpretations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of interpretation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin interpretātiōn-, stem of interpretātiō; equivalent to interpret ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Explanation

When your favorite band covers a classic tune, their version is their interpretation — their translation — of the music. Is it better than the original? That's up for interpretation. Interpretation is the act of explaining, reframing, or otherwise showing your own understanding of something. A person who translates one language into another is called an interpreter because they are explaining what a person is saying to someone who doesn't understand. Interpretation requires you to first understand the piece of music, text, language, or idea, and then give your explanation of it. A computer may produce masses of data, but it will require your interpretation of the data for people to understand it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interpretation interpretations

Current schemes mostly allow a minimal use of AI, for example for research and grammar checks, but there are worries this could be open to interpretation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

"While this was an experiment-driven discovery, our theoretical work provided the molecular-level interpretation needed to translate the X-ray measurements into a detailed picture of the underlying coordination between proton, electron and solvent motion."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Central to both Steinbeck’s novel and Kazan’s update is the author’s interpretation of the Hebrew word timshel, which he translates as “thou mayest.”

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

She had anticipated swift legal challenges based the interpretation of maximum feasible standards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

“I won’t,” Bailey says, relieved that she has neglected to specify a time, leaving “too late” up to interpretation.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Modern art history has brought renewed acclaim, and a bounty of new interpretations have given the room newfound relevance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

New research suggests that the brain may resolve these visual conflicts by allowing different regions to compare their interpretations until a more consistent picture emerges.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Following the recent success of the new Christopher Nolan film based on the epic poem, curators said they hoped there would be renewed interest in artists' interpretations of Homer's work.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Ellroy’s work set the bar for modern neo-noir interpretations, both literary and cinematic.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

When Molly arrived, a sizable crowd had already gathered outside, trailing up the front steps in various interpretations of the midcentury dress code.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• analysis
• clarification
• explanation
• judgment
• meaning
• perception
• reading
• translation