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

Her interpretation showed early how a jazz singer could personalize the ballad, imbuing it with her characteristic rhythmic freedom and emotional depth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Research published since then has added to that picture, while also showing why the supplement findings require careful interpretation.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The center is also part of the "Dinosaurs of the Pyrenees" project, a network of museums and interpretation centers showcasing the rich paleontological record of the Catalan Pyrenees.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Part of the reason is that so many decisions are subjective and open to interpretation.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

The old me wants to argue with him, make excuses for why his interpretation is wrong, even though he’s exactly right.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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

The sanitised history has left space for romanticised interpretations among youths frustrated by long working hours and intense competition in education and the job market.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

“It opens up this can of worms of interpretations that are sometimes not based on reality,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

But it also nods to what both “Transamerica” and “Travelin’ Thru” do so well, suggesting that there are various interpretations for everything in life.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

Up until now, I’ve largely assumed that all of my interpretations of Hideo’s words have been exaggerated on my part, but it’s pretty hard to misunderstand this statement.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

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