Meanings
present singular third person interprets · participle present interpreting · participle past interpreted · past interpreted
- To decode the meaning of a topic and then act, whether to continue researching the topic, follow through, act in opposition, or further the understanding through sharing an interpretation.
Synonyms: take, understand, construe
- To explain or tell the meaning of; to translate orally into intelligible or familiar language or terms. applied especially to language, but also to dreams, signs, conduct, mysteries, etc.
to interpret an Indian speech
3 more examples
The Holy Bible, Matthew i. 23. Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The Holy Bible, Genesis xli. 8. And Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives.[…]who, if anyone, is policing their use[?] Such concerns were sharpened further by the continuing revelations about how the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using algorithms to help it interpret the colossal amounts of data it has collected from its covert dragnet of international telecommunications.
2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26 - To apprehend and represent by means of art; to show by illustrative representation.
an artist interprets a landscape
2 more examples
The actor interpreted the character of Hamlet with great skill.
The way the musician interpreted a sonata was quite special.
- intransitiveTo convey what a user of one language is saying or signing, in real time or shortly after that person has finished communicating, to a user of a different language.
He interpreted at the meeting between the Chinese and French associates.
- transitivecomputingTo analyse or execute (a program) by reading the instructions as they are encountered, rather than compiling in advance.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo decode the meaning of a topic and then act, whether to continue researching the topic, follow through, act in opposition, or further the understanding through sharing an interpretation.
More synonyms by meaning
verbrestate (words) from one language into another language
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininterpretor“to explain, expound, interpret”
- Old Frenchenterpreter
- Middle Englishinterpreten
- Englishinterpret
From Middle English interpreten, from Old French enterpreter, (French interpréter), from Latin interpretor (“to explain, expound, interpret”), past participle interpretatus, from interpres (“an agent, broker, explainer, interpreter, negotiator”), from inter (“between”) + -pres, probably the root of pretium (“price”); -pres is probably connected with Ancient Greek φράζειν (phrázein, “to point out, show, explain, declare, speak”), from which φραδή (phradḗ, “understanding”), φράσις (phrásis, “speech”); see phrase.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἑρμηνεύω, μεταφράζω
- ἑρμηνεύω (hermēneúō)to explain or tell the meaning of
- μεταφράζω (metaphrázō)to act as an interpreter
Arabic فَسَّرَ, أَوَّلَ
- فَسَّرَ (fassara)to explain or tell the meaning of
- أَوَّلَ (ʔawwala)to explain or tell the meaning of
Bulgarian тълку́вам, обяснявам
- тълку́вам (tălkúvam)to explain or tell the meaning of
- обяснявам (objasnjavam)to explain or tell the meaning of
- интерпретирам (interpretiram)to apprehend and represent by means of art
- превеждамto act as an interpreter
Catalan interpretar, interpretar
- interpretarto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretarto apprehend and represent by means of art
- interpretarto act as an interpreter
Chinese Mandarin 翻譯 /翻译, 傳譯 /传译
- 翻譯 /翻译 (fānyì)to act as an interpreter
- 傳譯 /传译 (chuányì)to act as an interpreter
Czech vyložit, interpretovat
- vyložitto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretovatto apprehend and represent by means of art
- tlumočitto act as an interpreter
Danish fortolke, tolke
- fortolketo apprehend and represent by means of art
- tolketo act as an interpreter
Dutch interpreteren, vertalen
- interpreterento explain or tell the meaning of
- vertalento act as an interpreter
- tolkento act as an interpreter
Esperanto interpreti
- interpretito explain or tell the meaning of
Finnish tulkita, tulkita
- tulkitato explain or tell the meaning of
- tulkitato explain or tell the meaning of
- tulkitato apprehend and represent by means of art
- tulkatato act as an interpreter
French interpréter, traduire
- interpréterto apprehend and represent by means of art
- traduireto act as an interpreter
- interpréterto act as an interpreter
German interpretieren, interpretieren
- interpretierento explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretierento apprehend and represent by means of art
- dolmetschento act as an interpreter
- übersetzento act as an interpreter
Greek ερμηνεύω, ερμηνεύω
- ερμηνεύω (erminévo)to explain or tell the meaning of
- ερμηνεύω (erminévo)to apprehend and represent by means of art
- διερμηνεύω (dierminévo)to act as an interpreter
Hebrew דּוֹבֵב
- דּוֹבֵב (dovév)to explain or tell the meaning of
Hindi निर्वचन करना, अर्थ लगाना
- निर्वचन करना (nirvacan karnā)to explain or tell the meaning of
- अर्थ लगाना (arth lagānā)to explain or tell the meaning of
Hungarian értelmez, magyaráz
- értelmezto explain or tell the meaning of
- magyarázto explain or tell the meaning of
- megfejtto explain or tell the meaning of
- előadto apprehend and represent by means of art
- tolmácsolto apprehend and represent by means of art
- tolmácsolto act as an interpreter
- fordítto act as an interpreter
Indonesian mengartikan, menafsirkan
- mengartikanto explain or tell the meaning of
- menafsirkanto explain or tell the meaning of
Italian interpretare, interpretare
- interpretareto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretareto apprehend and represent by means of art
- interpretareto act as an interpreter
Japanese 解説する, 演奏する
- 解説する (kaisetsu suru)to explain or tell the meaning of
- 演奏する (ensō suru)to apprehend and represent by means of art
- 演出する (enshutsu suru)to apprehend and represent by means of art
- 通訳する (tsūyaku suru)to act as an interpreter
Korean 해석하다, 통역하다
- 해석하다 (haeseok-hada)to explain or tell the meaning of
- 통역하다 (tong'yeok-hada)to act as an interpreter
Latin interpretor, interpretor
- interpretorto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretorto apprehend and represent by means of art
Māori whakamāori
- whakamāorito explain or tell the meaning of
Norwegian Bokmål tolke
- tolketo act as an interpreter
Polish interpretować, zinterpretować
- interpretowaćto explain or tell the meaning of
- zinterpretowaćto explain or tell the meaning of
Portuguese interpretar, interpretar
- interpretarto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretarto apprehend and represent by means of art
- traduzirto act as an interpreter
Romanian interpreta, interpreta
- interpretato explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretato apprehend and represent by means of art
- traduceto act as an interpreter
- interpretato act as an interpreter
Russian объясня́ть, объясни́ть
- объясня́ть (obʺjasnjátʹ)to explain or tell the meaning of
- объясни́ть (obʺjasnítʹ)to explain or tell the meaning of
- толкова́ть (tolkovátʹ)to explain or tell the meaning of
- истолкова́ть (istolkovátʹ)to explain or tell the meaning of
- интерпрети́ровать (interpretírovatʹ)to explain or tell the meaning of
- интерпрети́ровать (interpretírovatʹ)to apprehend and represent by means of art
- переводи́ть (perevodítʹ)to act as an interpreter
- перевести́ (perevestí)to act as an interpreter
Scottish Gaelic eadar-mhìnich, eadar-mhìnich
- eadar-mhìnichto explain or tell the meaning of
- eadar-mhìnichto act as an interpreter
Spanish explicar, exponer
- explicarto explain or tell the meaning of
- exponerto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretarto explain or tell the meaning of
- interpretarto apprehend and represent by means of art
- interpretarto act as an interpreter
Swedish tolka, tolka
- tolkato explain or tell the meaning of
- tolkato apprehend and represent by means of art
- tolkato act as an interpreter
Thai ตีความ, แปล
- ตีความ (dtii-kwaam)to explain or tell the meaning of
- แปล (bplɛɛ)to act as an interpreter
Ukrainian тлума́чити, витлума́чувати
- тлума́чити (tlumáčyty)to explain or tell the meaning of
- витлума́чувати (vytlumáčuvaty)to explain or tell the meaning of
- ви́тлумачити (výtlumačyty)to explain or tell the meaning of
- інтерпретува́ти (interpretuváty)to explain or tell the meaning of
Vietnamese diễn giải, dịch
- diễn giảito explain or tell the meaning of
- dịchto act as an interpreter
Yiddish טײַטשן
- טײַטשן (taytshn)to explain or tell the meaning of
Cite this entry
interpret. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interpret
“interpret.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interpret. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “interpret,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interpret.
Source: interpret on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.