interpret
Formsinterprets, interpreting, interpreted
- 1To explain what something means in a way that is easy to understand.
Like turning a secret message into plain words anyone can read.
Priests once claimed they could interpret dreams sent by the gods.
She tried to interpret the strange look on his face.
Similarexplain, decipher, decode, construe, read
Note
- 2To listen to what someone says in one language and say it out loud in another, right away.
Like a bridge that lets two people who speak different languages talk to each other.
She learned to interpret between Spanish and English at the clinic.
He interprets for tourists who visit the old city.
Similartranslate
Note
- 3To show your own understanding of something through art, music, or acting.
Like painting a picture of a song so others can feel what it means to you.
The dancer interpreted the storm through sharp, sweeping movements.
Each artist will interpret the same poem in a different way.
- 4To work out what something means and then decide what to do about it.
Like reading a road sign and then turning the way it tells you to go.
Voters interpret the news and then choose who to support.
She interpreted the report and changed her plan right away.
Similarunderstand, construe, take
- 5To run a program by reading its instructions one by one, instead of converting them all first.
Like a reader who says each sentence out loud the moment they reach it, instead of reading the whole book first.
Python can interpret your code line by line as it runs.
The browser interprets the script every time the page loads.
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of interpret apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It comes from Latin interpretor, meaning to explain, based on interpres, meaning an agent, explainer, or interpreter. This came through Old French and Middle English.