Definition of 'interpret'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense interprets
, present participle interpreting
, past tense, past participle interpreted
1. verb
If you interpret something in a particular way, you decide that this is its meaning or significance.
Both approaches agree on what is depicted in the poem, but not on how it should be
interpreted. [be VERB-ed]
2. verb
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
interpret in British English
verb
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
interpretable (inˈterpretable) adjective
interpretability (inˌterpretaˈbility) or interpretableness (inˈterpretableness)
noun
interpretably (inˈterpretably)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Latin interpretārī, from interpres negotiator, one who explains, from inter- + -pres, probably related to pretium priceWord Frequency
interpret in American English
verb transitive
1.
to explain the meaning of; make understandable
to interpret a poem
3.
to have or show one's own understanding of the meaning of; construe
to interpret a silence as contempt
4.
to bring out the meaning of; esp., to give one's own conception of (a work of art), as in performance or criticism
5.
to translate (a program in a high-level language) into machine language and execute it, statement by statement
said of an interpreter program verb intransitive
6.
to act as an interpreter; explain or translate
SIMILAR WORDS: exˈplain
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
interpretable (inˈterpretable)
adjective
Word origin
ME interpreten < MFr intepréter < L interpretari < interpres, agent between two parties, broker, interpreter
Word Frequency
interpret in American English
(ɪnˈtɜːrprɪt)
transitive verb
1.
to give or provide the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate
to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable
4.
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 man
5.
to translate orally
6. Computing
a.
intransitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. See explain.Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
interpretable adjective
interpretability or interpretableness
noun
interpretably
adverb
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME interpreten ‹ L interpretārī, deriv. of interpret- (s. of interpres) explainer]Examples of 'interpret' in a sentence
interpret
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In other languages
interpret
British English: interpret
/ɪnˈtɜːprɪt/ VERB
If you interpret something in a particular way, you decide that this is its meaning or significance.
I interpreted her look as a sign she didn't approve.
- American English: interpret /ɪnˈtɜrprɪt/
- Arabic: يُفَسِّرُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: interpretar
- Chinese: 翻译
- Croatian: tumačiti
- Czech: vyložit vysvětlit
- Danish: fortolke
- Dutch: interpreteren
- European Spanish: interpretar
- Finnish: tulkita
- French: interpréter
- German: interpretieren
- Greek: ερμηνεύω
- Italian: interpretare
- Japanese: 解釈する
- Korean: 해석하다
- Norwegian: tolke
- Polish: zinterpretować
- European Portuguese: interpretar
- Romanian: a interpreta
- Russian: толковать
- Latin American Spanish: interpretar
- Swedish: tolka
- Thai: ตีความ, แปลความหมาย
- Turkish: yorumlamak
- Ukrainian: перекладати
- Vietnamese: giải thích
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interpret
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interpret
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Definition of interpret from the Collins English Dictionary
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