Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for paraphrase on Thesaurus.com a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording. the act or process of restating or rewording. Show More
verb (used with object), par·a·phrased, par·a·phras·ing. to render the meaning of in a paraphrase: to paraphrase a technical paper for lay readers. Show More
verb (used without object), par·a·phrased, par·a·phras·ing. to make a paraphrase or paraphrases. Show More
Origin of paraphrase 1540–50; <
Middle French <
Latin paraphrasis <
Greek paráphrasis. See
para-1 ,
phrase Related forms par·a·phras·a·ble , adjective par·a·phras·er , noun mis·par·a·phrase , verb, mis·par·a·phrased, mis·par·a·phras·ing. un·par·a·phrased , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for paraphrase transcribe ,
rephrase ,
rehash ,
explanation ,
summary ,
rendering ,
version ,
restatement ,
rendition ,
digest ,
rephrasing ,
render ,
recapitulate ,
reword ,
restate ,
summarize ,
disambiguate Examples from the Web for paraphrase Contemporary Examples of paraphrase To paraphrase Peter Tosh, if Illinois were to legalize it, would you advertise it?
To paraphrase the renegade philosopher Hannibal, I love it when science comes together.
To paraphrase Fox Friends, don't get caught beating women on camera and you're safe to play in the NFL.
Barry Goldwater is not the sort of man you might expect Stephen F. Cohen to paraphrase .
To paraphrase the great John Oliver, listen up, fellow self-pitying nerd boys—we are not the victims here.
Historical Examples of paraphrase It was really only a paraphrase of the old story of the grub and the butterfly.
The paraphrase which has just been given of it goes beyond the actual words of Plato.
“She is so nervous,” Maria said loyally, but her paraphrase availed nothing.
"It was a paraphrase ," he answered, the smile still upon his face.
He is not disturbed by the diversity of methods exhibited in the Paraphrase .
British Dictionary definitions for paraphrase an expression of a statement or text in other words, esp in order to clarify the practice of making paraphrases Show More
to put (something) into other words; restate (something) Show More
Derived Forms paraphrastic (ˌpærəˈfræstɪk ), adjective Word Origin for paraphrase C16: via French from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek, from paraphrazein to recount
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for paraphrase n. 1540s, from Middle French paraphrase (1520s), from Latin paraphrasis "a paraphrase," from Greek paraphrasis "a free rendering," from paraphrazein "to tell in other words," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + phrazein "to tell" (see phrase (n.)).
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v. c.1600, from paraphrase (n.) or from French paraphraser . Related: Paraphrased ; paraphrasing .
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
A restatement of speech or writing that retains the basic meaning while changing the words. A paraphrase often clarifies the original statement by putting it into words that are more easily understood.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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