Showing results for interpret. Search instead for to interpret.

Synonyms

interpret

American

[in-tur-prit] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪt /

verb (used with object)

to give or provide the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate.

to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable.
to construe or understand in a particular way.

to interpret a reply as favorable.
to bring out the meaning of (a dramatic work, music, etc.) by performance or execution.
to perform or render (a song, role in a play, etc.) according to one's own understanding or sensitivity.

The actor interpreted Lear as a weak, pitiful old man.
to translate orally.
Computers.
1. to use an interpreter to transform (a program written in a high-level language) into a sequence of machine actions, one statement at a time, executing each statement immediately before going on to transform the next one.
2. to read (the patterns of holes in punched cards) with an interpreter, printing the interpreted data on the same cards so that they can be read more conveniently by people.

verb (used without object)

to translate what is said in a foreign language.
to explain something; give an explanation.

interpret British

/ ɪnˈtɜːprɪt /

verb

(tr) to clarify or explain the meaning of; elucidate
(tr) to construe the significance or intention of

to interpret a smile as an invitation
(tr) to convey or represent the spirit or meaning of (a poem, song, etc) in performance
(intr) to act as an interpreter; translate orally

"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

Usage

What are other ways to say interpret?

To interpret is to give or provide the meaning of something, or to construe or understand something in a particular way. What’s the difference between interpret, elucidate, expound, and explain? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of interpret

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English interpreten, from Latin interpretārī, derivative of interpret-, stem of interpres “explainer”

Explanation

When you interpret something, you make sense of it. You could interpret a graph, a foreign language, or even Mona Lisa's odd smile. If you're ordering food in a foreign land, you may need someone to interpret the menu for you. When you get tripped up or struggle to understand a subject even in your own language — like calculus, for example — sometimes you can find meaning, or interpret it for yourself. Or sometimes you'll need a teacher to work on the problem with you, showing how to interpret the mathematical language.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing interpret

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

List 2

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Vocabulary of the Common Core

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

See Examples For:

interpret interprets interpreted interpreting

Yet many investors tend to interpret those records as warning signs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Yet other people can mistakenly interpret difficulty communicating as evidence of difficulty thinking.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

After meeting at secondary school in Mexico the two went on to work together on research projects that have revealed how dogs interpret and respond to human language and behaviour.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Errors will always be part of soccer because there are many issues open to interpretation, and that’s what the referee is there for — to interpret them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

To interpret rocks, there needs to be some means of correlation, a basis on which you can tell that those carboniferous rocks from Devon are younger than these Cambrian rocks from Wales.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Saylor was keen to point out “systemically important banks like Morgan Stanley and Citi, all with intent to integrate bitcoin into their operations,” which he interprets as an “embrace of bitcoin as a creditworthy instrument.”

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

It interprets Coachella as a cultural event, deciding what matters, where to look, and how the festival is ultimately remembered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026

He explains the history, offers the evidence, interprets its meaning, outlines the plan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

That history of mistrust is an important backdrop to Thursday's escalation, shaping how Baku interprets every move coming from Tehran.

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

For the King, or at least this is how Malory interprets him, was the patron saint of chivalry.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the remarks "were not intended to be interpreted the way that our political opponents and some media outlets are reporting".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The general definition of state-of-the-art capabilities could be interpreted differently by makers of closed models and the White House, potentially creating confusion about which models fall into the category, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Some interpreted the move as the market calling the Federal Reserve’s bluff.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

One of them, “Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation,” explores how culture, across print, visual art and performance, has interpreted and shaped Black queer social and political movements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

He interpreted Cluny’s order as the much-coveted promotion to second-in-command.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

"This study has delivered the first framework for interpreting how megafauna fossils formed, survived, and changed in underwater caves," Miss Walker said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Investors are interpreting the potential deal as one of the biggest examples of circular financing, Jefferies sell-side analyst Jeffrey Favuzza wrote in a Monday note.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Gustavo Duque, mayor of Chacao, a middle-class Caracas neighbourhood, urges caution in interpreting the red sign too simply.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

But these views deserve no weight in interpreting the amendments’ transformative guarantees.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026

Hints of past events can be found in Native American oral traditions, to be sure, but these are concerned more with interpreting eternal truths than the details of journalism and history.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023