interpretation

[ in-tur-pri-tey-shuh n ]

/ ɪnˌtɜr prɪˈteɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR interpretation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of interpreting; elucidation; explication: This writer's work demands interpretation.

an explanation of the meaning of another's artistic or creative work; an elucidation: an interpretation of a poem.

a conception of another's behavior: a charitable interpretation of his tactlessness.

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

oral translation.

Nearby words

interpolated extrasystole, interpolation, interpose, interposition, interpret, interpretation, interpretative, interpreted language, interpreter, interpretive, interpretive centre

Origin of interpretation

1250–1300; Middle English < Latin interpretātiōn- (stem of interpretātiō). See interpret, -ation

Related forms

in·ter·pre·ta·tion·al, adjectivenon·in·ter·pre·ta·tion·al, adjectiveo·ver·in·ter·pre·ta·tion, nounpre·in·ter·pre·ta·tion, noun

re·in·ter·pre·ta·tion, nounself-in·ter·pre·ta·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for interpretation

It became more about the people and their artwork and their interpretation of Daryl.
Norman Reedus on Motorcycles, Multitasking, And That Mid-Season Finale: “This Was A Rough One”|Oliver Jones|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One interpretation suggests he is the embodiment of whisky, a lewd allusion to a tenured tradition of Scottish alcoholism.
Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality|Noah Caldwell|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His reply left no room for interpretation: “We will never change the name of the team.”
It’s Official: ‘Redskins’ Is Racist, but Will the Team or NFL Listen?|Robert Silverman|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The interpretation of the Tiananmen crackdown remains a charged issue in China, both politically and emotionally.
The Tiananmen Square Museum That’s Shocking China’s Tourists|Brendon Hong|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Watchers are a very ancient tradition, going back over two thousand years in Jewish and Christian interpretation.
‘Noah’: The Bible vs. the Blockbuster|Joel Baden|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But this is not the only difficulty in Bugge's interpretation of the Eotens as Frisians.
Beowulf|R. W. Chambers
The evidence seems to me, however, to refute this interpretation of Kants position.
A Commentary to Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason'|Norman Kemp Smith
The strategy of complementing helps in broadening the interpretation.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
They are not unfrequently valuable guides to interpretation.
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Revelation|William Milligan
Bizarre as this interpretation looks, we shall find some confirmation of such a possibility in our chapter on Possession.
Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily Death|Frederick W. H. Myers

British Dictionary definitions for interpretation

interpretation

/ (ɪnˌtɜːprɪˈteɪʃən) /

noun

the act or process of interpreting or explaining; elucidation

the result of interpreting; an explanation

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

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

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

Derived Formsinterpretational, adjective

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

Medicine definitions for interpretation

interpretation

[ ĭn-tûr′prĭ-tā′shən ]

n.

The act or process of explaining the meaning of something.

A psychotherapist's explanation of the meaning of a patient's remarks, dreams, memories, experiences, and behavior.

Related formsin•ter′pret v.

interpretation

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of interpretation

Examples from the Web for interpretation

British Dictionary definitions for interpretation

interpretation

noun

Medicine definitions for interpretation

interpretation

n.