paraphrase

[ par-uh-freyz ]

/ ˈpær əˌfreɪz /

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noun

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.

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.

verb (used without object), par·a·phrased, par·a·phras·ing.

to make a paraphrase or paraphrases.

Nearby words

paraphasia, paraphernalia, paraphia, paraphilia, paraphimosis, paraphrase, paraphrasis, paraphrast, paraphrastic, paraphyletic, paraphysis

Origin of paraphrase

1540–50; < Middle French < Latin paraphrasis < Greek paráphrasis. See para-¹, phrase

SYNONYMS FOR paraphrase

1 See translation.

3 summarize; explain.

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Related forms

par·a·phras·a·ble, adjectivepar·a·phras·er, nounmis·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. 2019

Examples from the Web for paraphrase

To paraphrase Peter Tosh, if Illinois were to legalize it, would you advertise it?
The Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah Sounds Off on Weed, the Weather, and Winning|Bill Schulz|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To paraphrase the renegade philosopher Hannibal, I love it when science comes together.
Glaciers Lose 204 Billion Tons of Ice in Three Years|Matthew R. Francis|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To paraphrase Fox Friends, don't get caught beating women on camera and you're safe to play in the NFL.
The NFL Is Full of Ray Rices|Robert Silverman|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Barry Goldwater is not the sort of man you might expect Stephen F. Cohen to paraphrase.
Meet the Anti-Semites, Truthers, and Alaska Pol at D.C.’s Pro-Putin Soiree|James Kirchick|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To paraphrase the great John Oliver, listen up, fellow self-pitying nerd boys—we are not the victims here.
Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds|Arthur Chu|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Le Clotre is a paraphrase of Les Moines, the book of the monks.
mile Verhaeren|Stefan Zweig
Grymanum, prefixed to the Paraphrase on the Epistle to the Romans.
The Oxford Reformers|Frederic Seebohm
One might paraphrase Burke and say that such wealth as this loses half its evil through losing all its grossness.
The Unpopular Review, Volume II Number 3|Various
This absence of vigor and remoteness may be due to the nature of the volume of which this paraphrase is only a part.
The Translations of Beowulf|Chauncey Brewster Tinker
“Let no one to whom hard study is repulsive hope for anything from us,” American colleges might paraphrase.
The Teacher|George Herbert Palmer

British Dictionary definitions for paraphrase

paraphrase

/ (ˈpærəˌfreɪz) /

noun

an expression of a statement or text in other words, esp in order to clarify

the practice of making paraphrases

verb

to put (something) into other words; restate (something)

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for paraphrase

paraphrase

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.