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Definitions

interpret

[in-tur-prit] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪt /


Usage

What are other ways to say interpret? To interpret is to give the meaning of something by paraphrase, by translation, or by an explanation based on personal opinion: to interpret a poem or a symbol. To expound is to give a methodical, detailed, scholarly explanation of something, usually Scriptures, doctrines, or philosophy: to expound the doctrine of free will. To explain is to make plain, clear, or intelligible something that is not known or understood: to explain a theory or a problem. To elucidate is to throw light on what before was dark and obscure, usually by illustration and commentary and sometimes by elaborate explanation: They asked him to elucidate his statement. 

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:

When unrest erupts abroad, the U.S. is quick to interpret it as a warning for us.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

It’s bad for democracy to throw raw data at people and hope that they interpret it.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

They may also find it more difficult to remember faces or interpret facial expressions compared with neurotypical individuals.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

Using images of a male and female with visible differences, we tested five popular AI tools to understand if and how they would interpret the prompt "make this person normal".

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

The children crouched on the limbs of a water oak that grew outside Mary Anne’s window, listened to their mother’s laughter, and tried to interpret its meaning.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Stifel interprets this as meaning between 300 million francs and 400 million francs, which would give the deal an attractive valuation for Lonza.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Democrats aren’t necessarily viewed more positively than Republicans right now, but Nabulsi believes they’re at least signaling an open line of communication with a message she interprets as “We are not here with hate.”

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

The sequence begins when visual information enters the eyes and continues as the brain interprets that information until a face is recognized.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 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

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

Some interpreted this as a sign that investors were taking Wall Street’s lofty expectations with a grain of salt.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Which is the way this gets interpreted by some people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Even slightly interpreted data is of no use to anyone.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

"For these reasons, the 70 percent storage level value must be interpreted flexibly and considered in light of the overall supply situation," the ministry spokeswoman said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

In a movement known as the New Departure, some women’s rights advocates interpreted the new amendment in a way that actually allowed female suffrage.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

But experts warn against interpreting the figures as a prediction of the election outcome.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

This shift may allow the brain to focus more on interpreting information through existing knowledge rather than recording every new experience in precise detail.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

Severin added that the retired senior judges and leading barristers, who sat on the Commission, have "spent their careers interpreting complicated facts, dealing with witnesses and applying relevant weight to evidence".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Pène du Bois became deeply attached to Hopper and wrote some selfless essays interpreting and defending Hopper’s art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Farmer listens good-naturedly, interpreting Ti Jean’s words as “a giant morality play, a commentary on social inequality.”

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French


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