# interpretation

Pronunciation: say "in-tur-pruh-TAY-shuhn" US /ɪnˌtɝpɹəˈteɪʃən/, UK /ɪnˌtɜːpɹəˈteɪʃən/, AUS /ɪnˌtɜːpɹəˈtæɪʃən/

## Noun

1. The meaning or explanation that an interpreter draws out of something; the sense given to it.
   - Simple: The meaning that someone gives to something when they explain it.
   - _Critics disagreed sharply over the correct interpretation of the painting._
   - _His interpretation of the witness's silence shaped the whole investigation._
2. The act of interpreting or explaining something unclear; a translation or version of it.
   - Simple: The act of explaining something that is hard to understand, or putting it into other words.
   - _The committee asked for a plain interpretation of the dense legal clause._
   - _Her interpretation of the foreign speech kept the delegates following along._
3. An artist's way of expressing thought or capturing a conception of nature through their art.
   - Simple: An artist's personal way of showing an idea or feeling through their work.
   - _The director's bold interpretation set the ancient tragedy in a modern city._
   - _Her interpretation of the sonata lingered on phrases other performers rushed through._
4. The discipline of translating spoken or signed language into another language, distinct from translation, which deals with written text.
   - Simple: The skill or study of changing spoken or signed words from one language into another as people speak.
   - _She trained in interpretation before joining the diplomatic service._
   - _Conference interpretation demands intense concentration and a wide vocabulary in both languages._
5. The power or ability to explain things and make them clear.
   - Simple: The ability to explain things clearly.
   - _The scholar's powers of interpretation turned obscure documents into vivid history._
   - _A great lecturer combines deep knowledge with a gift for interpretation._
6. The act of applying general principles or formulas to explain the results obtained in particular cases.
   - Simple: Using general rules to explain the results found in certain special cases.
   - _Her interpretation of the survey figures rested on standard statistical models._
   - _The team's interpretation of the anomaly applied known equations to an unusual measurement._
7. An approximation that lets aspects of a mathematical theory be discussed in ordinary language.
   - Simple: A simple way of putting parts of a math theory into everyday words.
   - _The standard interpretation treats the squared wavefunction as a probability._
   - _Physicists still argue over which interpretation best describes what the math really means._
8. A specification of whether each propositional symbol in a propositional calculus is true or false.
   - Simple: A way of giving each basic statement in a logic system a value of true or false.
   - _Under one interpretation the formula is true, while under another it is false._
   - _Each interpretation gives every variable in the formula a value of either true or false._
9. Short for heritage interpretation. — Short for heritage interpretation
   - Simple: Short for heritage interpretation. It means explaining historic or natural sites to visitors.
   - _The national park invested heavily in interpretation to engage its visitors._
   - _Good interpretation helps tourists connect with the history of an old town._

## Origin

The word passed through Old French and Anglo-Norman into Middle English, ultimately from Latin interpretātiō, a noun of action from interpretor ('to explain, expound, interpret, understand'). It is formed from 'interpret' plus '-ation'.

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