interpret
[verb]
Synonyms: explain, construe, decipher, decode, elucidate, make sense of, render, translate

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Contrasted words: contort, deform, distort, garble, misrepresent, misconstrue, misunderstand
Related Words: exemplify, illustrate, annotate, gloss, comment, commentate

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English Thesaurus: translate, interpret, put something into English/French/Japanese et

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

in‧ter‧pret W3 AC /ɪnˈtɜːprət, ɪnˈtɜːprɪt $ -ɜːr-/ verb
[Word Family: noun: interpretation, interpreter; adjective: interpretative, interpretive; verb: interpret]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: interpréter, from Latin interpretari, from interpres 'someone who explains or translates']

1. [intransitive and transitive] to translate spoken words from one language into another:
They spoke good Spanish, and promised to interpret for me.

2. [transitive] to believe that something someone does or something that happens has a particular meaning
interpret something as something
His refusal to work late was interpreted as a lack of commitment to the company.

3. [transitive] to explain the meaning of something:
Freud’s attempts to interpret the meaning of dreams

4. [transitive] to perform a part in a play, a piece of music etc in a way that shows your feelings about it or what you think it means

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

interpret
verb
ADV. correctly, rightly | wrongly | differently Different people might interpret events differently.
clearly | broadly, liberally The term ‘business’ is here interpreted broadly to include all types of organization in the public and private sectors. The strictness of the rules, even when liberally interpreted, has the effect of restricting innovation.
narrowly, restrictively, strictly | literally | metaphorically It is context and convention that determine whether a term will be interpreted literally or metaphorically.
easily, readily These figures cannot be easily interpreted.
cautiously These results must be interpreted cautiously.
VERB + INTERPRET be difficult to, be hard to | be able/unable to | seek to, try to We all seek to interpret what we hear and what we read.
PREP. as Her message was interpreted as a warning to the general.
PHRASES be variously interpreted (as sth) The figure of the Ancient Mariner has been variously interpreted (= interpreted in various different ways).
be widely interpreted as sth Her resignation has been widely interpreted as an admission of her guilt.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

translate verb [intransitive and transitive] to change written or spoken words into another language:
She has translated a number of his books.
Michael Meyer translated the play from the original Norwegian.
Can you translate this into French?
interpret verb [intransitive and transitive] to change what someone is saying into another language, as they are speaking:
No one in our tour group spoke Spanish so we had to ask the guide to interpret.
We'll have to find someone who speaks Chinese to interpret the questions and answers for our guests.
I had to interpret for my boss on the last trip to Japan.
put something into English/French/Japanese etc British English to translate something into another language, especially a few words or a short piece of writing:
I've written a message for Fabio. Could you put it into Italian for me?
I had to put a list of Japanese words into English.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲