interpretation

[in-tur-pri-tey-shuhn]

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.

interpretation

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of interpretation¹

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

Example Sentences

These divisions were a distinctly Christian interpretation, expressing a claim to the sacred sites of both the Old and New Testaments.

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The unusually sharp Balmer break put The Cliff at odds with both of the leading interpretations for the little red dots.

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Critics argue that this interpretation is legally flimsy and dangerously broad.

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What better way to make the afterlife slightly less terrifying than to see a version of it with our own eyes on the silver screen, whatever that interpretation might resemble.

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The authors note that the opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense, the NIH, VA or other funders.

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Related Words

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