interpreter

American  

[in-tur-pri-ter] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪ tər /

noun

interpreters plural

1. a person who interprets.

2. a person who provides an oral translation between speakers who speak different languages.

3. Computers.

   1. hardware or software that transforms one statement at a time of a program written in a high-level language into a sequence of machine actions and executes the statement immediately before going on to transform the next statement.

   2. an electromechanical device that reads the patterns of holes in punched cards and prints the same data on the cards, so that they can be read more conveniently by people.

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interpreter British  

/ ɪnˈtɜːprɪtə /

noun

1. a person who translates orally from one language into another

2. a person who interprets the work of others

3. computing

   1. a program that translates a second program to machine code one statement at a time and causes the execution of the resulting code as soon as the translation is completed

   2. a machine that interprets the holes in a punched card and prints the corresponding characters on that card

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interpretership
  noun
• interpretress
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• interpreters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of interpreter

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English interpretour, from Anglo-French; equivalent to interpret + -er ²

Explanation

An interpreter is someone who translates something to make it understandable, usually spoken language. When your class takes a trip to Russia, you’ll likely have an interpreter to translate Russian to English so you can understand what people are saying to you. Need to talk to someone who doesn't speak your language? You'll need an interpreter. Say you're interviewing a Bulgarian diplomat, but you don't speak Bulgarian. The interpreter would listen to a few sentences in Bulgarian and then repeat them in English, and then listen to your English response and repeat that in Bulgarian. We also use interpreter for artists who represent ideas or places in their work. If you paint industrial cityscapes, you're an interpreter of urban life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interpreter interpreters

“My biceps is not 100%,” said Ohtani through interpreter Will Ireton while speaking with the media for the first time since before the All-Star break.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

He appeared with the aid of an Arabic interpreter and when asked how he wished to plea, denied having piloted the dinghy.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Sometimes, when Wallace cannot effectively communicate with coaches or teammates, he enlists the help of his interpreter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Mr. Ely takes an unconventional approach by acting as a narrator and interpreter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

“He asks, are you happy,” says the interpreter.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

It means sign-language interpreters in classrooms, learning materials for visually impaired students, trained teachers and digital platforms designed with different users in mind.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

I visited the exhibit and found a fascinating deep-dive not into our country’s history, but into how we remember it, including through the work of the dramatic interpreters that are the museum’s main attraction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

Among those jobs: 220 information technology support technicians, 33 parent education support assistants, 23 gardeners, five area bus supervisors, five stock clerks and three interpreters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026

Among those jobs: 220 IT support technicians, 33 parent education support assistants, 23 gardeners, five area bus supervisors, five stock clerks and three interpreters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026

Most of the interpreters are Eyes, or so it’s said.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• artist
• commentator
• editor
• exponent
• linguist
• philosopher
• scholar
• writer