reinterpret
Britishverb
Other Word Forms
Explanation
If you re-examined the meaning of something and found something new or different, you reinterpreted it. You thought that when Brian said, "I love you," he meant as a friend, but you may want to reinterpret the meaning of those words since he bought you a diamond ring. The verb reinterpret also means to re-explain or interpret from a different point of view. Each year, historians try to reinterpret the primary source material in historical cases. For example, in 1892, Lizzie Borden's father and step-mother were killed with an ax. Lizzie was acquitted. Did she commit the crime? Well, historians examine and reexamine the evidence and interpret it and reinterpret it. Some think she did it and some think she was innocent. We may never know.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Vance attempted to reinterpret the comment and soften its edges.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
He spoke the language of “affordability” with a relentless rhetorical focus on the issue while offering something more profound to voters: permission to reinterpret disappointment as injustice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
A group of racially diverse artists invited to reinterpret a touring British Museum collection with links to slavery have raised issues around payment, representation and emotional support.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2024
But Disney in recent years has been attempting to reinterpret how a ride system can be used.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2024
On the other hand, there has been a slow but widespread tendency to reinterpret the whole intention of the Messianic hope of Judaism.
From Judaism by Abrahams, Israel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
