Interpret
Contents
English
Verb
Interpret (third-person singular simple present Interprets, present participle Interpreting, simple past and past participle Interpreted)
- To explain or tell the meaning of; to expound; to translate orally into intelligible or familiar language or terms; to decipher; to define; -- applied especially to language, but also to dreams, signs, conduct, mysteries, etc.; as, to interpret the Hebrew language to an Englishman; to interpret an Indian speech.
- "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matt. i. 23.
- "And Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh." Gen. xli. 8.
- To apprehend and represent by means of art; to show by illustrative representation; as, an actor interprets the character of Hamlet; a musician interprets a sonata; an artist interprets a landscape.
- (intransitive) To act as an interpreter.
Synonyms
Related terms
Adverbs for Interpret
literally; objectively; narrowly; allegorically; sympathetically; intelligently; boldly; unfavorably; adequately; superficially; metaphysically; speculatively; offensively; poetically; charitably; mythologically.
Thesaurus
accompany, annotate, answer, bottom, chord, clarify, clear up, comment, commentate, concertize, construe, crack, debug, decipher, decode, define, delineate, depict, describe, diagnose, disentangle, divine, do, dope, dope out, elucidate, execute, exemplify, explain, explicate, expound, fathom, figure out, find out, find the answer, find the solution, get, get right, gloss, guess, guess right, have it, hit it, illuminate, illustrate, image, limn, make music, make out, open the lock, paraphrase, perform, picture, play, play by ear, plumb, portray, psych, psych out, puzzle out, ravel, ravel out, read, read into, render, resolve, riddle, simplify, solve, sort out, spell out, symphonize, take, take it that, take to mean, translate, understand, understand by, undo, unlock, unravel, unriddle, unscramble, untangle, untwist, unweave, work, work out
Etymology
From Middle English interpreten < Old French interpreter, French interpréter < Latin interpretari (“to explain, expound, interpret”), past participle interpretatus < interpres (“an agent, broker, explainer, interpreter, negotiator”) < inter (“between”) + -pres, probably the root of pretium (“price”); -pres is probably connected with Greek φράζειν (phrazein, “to point out, show, explain, declare, speak”) > φραδή (phrade, “understanding”), φράσις (phrasis, “speech”); see phrase.
Pronunciation
- (RP) IPA: /ɪnˈtɜːpɹɪt/, SAMPA: /In"t3:prIt/
- (GenAm) IPA: /ɪnˈtɝpɹɪt/, SAMPA: /In"t3`prIt/
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Audio (US) noicon (file)
Translations
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References
- Interpret in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- Interpret in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Czech
Noun
Interpret m.
