interpretation

American  

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

noun

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

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

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

Over time, some researchers questioned this interpretation, but there was no reliable way to investigate further until recently.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

It’s the latter portion — “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” — that leaves room for interpretation, forming the beachhead upon which legal arguments against birthright citizenship have been mounted.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

"They're buying the layer where interpretation happens," she added on LinkedIn.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Most tellingly, Justice Clarence Thomas has already adopted a broad interpretation of the citizenship clause, albeit in a different context.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Another interpretation of the US origin myth found in some history books is the idea that relations between the Native people and the European Americans should be viewed as a cultural conflict.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

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