interpretation

American  

[in-tur-pri-tey-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

In the Fourth Circuit’s interpretation, South Carolina’s law is an abridgment of that right to franchise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

A gun's rear sight and a musket side plate found nearby offer some support for that interpretation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Taliban authorities have ruled for nearly five years, according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and have taken steps to control Afghans' access to technology without saying why.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

I would focus on my own interpretation of what she was thinking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

After all, this is merely our “personal” interpretation, so we turn to the critics for help.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Most of the Iranian artists left their instructions generously open-ended, inviting the interpretations and transmutations of their U.S. peers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

It fell apart within a week, predictably, as the two sides acted on conflicting interpretations of its central provisions.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

Many of us appreciate artistic execution that leaves plenty of openings for wild interpretations.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

Earlier interpretations suggested that most of the victims were female, but the genetic evidence shows that nine out of ten burials examined there were male.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Before the end of World War II, when Emperor Hirohito finally told the Japanese people that he was not of divine descent, Japanese archaeologists and historians had to make their interpretations conform to this account.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

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