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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.

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Vocabulary lists containing interpret

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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

Then it is up to the United players to interpret a more chaotic picture of the game, with players free to decide what to do next in that moment rather than follow a set script.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Co-author Dr. Jim Leary from the University of York said the discovery changes how researchers can interpret prehistoric monument building.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

Companies that sell a possible cancer signal should also explain who will interpret the results, coordinate the next tests, and help patients manage the costs.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

Much of what happens next for the yen will depend on U.S. inflation data due this week and how markets interpret any new signals from either central bank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

He must have noticed this, because he looks at me, puzzled, gives a little frown I choose to interpret as concern, though it may merely be irritation.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

The immune system interprets this misplaced genetic material as a danger signal, triggering an inflammatory response.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

The new chair has made a point of not providing his own economic forecasts or discussing how he interprets the most recent economic data.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

What those commitments are - and how Iran interprets them - will help determine whether this deal sticks.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The director has said that he interprets the death wish in the opera as part of the cycle of rebirth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

But they also light up when the brain interprets something as pleasurable, even if the behavior doesn’t appear to have the survival value of, say, eating or procreating.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

For those not in the audience, Owilla says people interpreted the president words as saying: "We are kicking these guys out."

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

It occurs when a side effect caused by one medication is interpreted as a separate health problem, leading to another prescription that may not have been necessary.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

Properly interpreted, he declared, the Constitution was “a glorious liberty document.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

But that being said, you have to keep in mind that we are getting this information secondhand, it’s a juror note that’s being interpreted and characterized by Reddington.

From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026

Every time his music is performed it lives again, fresh, newly awoken, sometimes interpreted surprisingly or unexpectedly but always experienced in the here and now.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

They believe the revised approach could make the concept easier for students to understand while giving scientists a clearer framework for interpreting how molecules behave.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

It made headlines in February for announcing a new AI tool that can create personal tax strategies by interpreting financial documents without any manual entry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

It has also since signed a contract with a sign language interpreting company.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

“In performing his music again, 70 years later, these artists are interpreting how his work impacts the music we have today.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Predictably, the press began talking about “the New Fischer,” interpreting Bobby’s sartorial upgrade as a sign that he’d crossed into young manhood.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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