# interpret

Pronunciation: say "in-TUR-prit" US /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪt/, UK /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪt/

## Verb

1. To explain or tell the meaning of something, translating it into familiar terms: whether language, dreams, signs, conduct, or mysteries.
   - Simple: To explain what something means in a way that is easy to understand.
   - _Scholars have long sought to interpret the symbols carved into the ancient tomb._
   - _The analyst interpreted the sudden silence as a sign of disagreement._
2. To convey, in real time or just afterward, what a speaker or signer of one language is communicating to someone who uses a different language.
   - Simple: To listen to what someone says in one language and say it out loud in another, right away.
   - _At the summit, she interpreted for the visiting delegation throughout the talks._
   - _Court interpreters must interpret accurately, even under intense pressure._
3. To grasp the meaning of something and express it through artistic performance or representation.
   - Simple: To show your own understanding of something through art, music, or acting.
   - _The pianist interprets the sonata with unusual restraint, letting the silences speak._
   - _Great actors interpret familiar roles in ways no one expects._
4. To decode the meaning of a subject and then act on it: by researching further, following through, pushing back, or sharing your understanding.
   - Simple: To work out what something means and then decide what to do about it.
   - _Good managers interpret market signals and adjust their strategy accordingly._
   - _The committee interpreted the survey results and launched a new outreach campaign._
5. To execute a program by reading and carrying out its instructions as they are encountered, rather than compiling it in advance.
   - Simple: To run a program by reading its instructions one by one, instead of converting them all first.
   - _The runtime interprets the bytecode instruction by instruction during execution._
   - _Early BASIC systems would interpret each line as the user typed it._

## Origin

The word passed through Middle English interpreten and Old French enterpreter from Latin interpretor ("to explain, expound, interpret"). This came from interpres ("an agent, broker, explainer, interpreter"), formed from inter ("between") plus -pres, probably the root of pretium ("price") and possibly connected with Ancient Greek phrázein ("to point out, show, explain").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/interpret (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).