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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:

Yet many investors tend to interpret those records as warning signs.

From MarketWatch Aug. 18, 2026

As institutional economist Douglass North argued, institutions shape the “rules of the game” by influencing the mental models people use to interpret the world.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

The researchers note that free-ranging dogs, including those that live on the street, experience a very different social environment and may interpret human signals differently.

From Science Daily Aug. 11, 2026

After meeting at secondary school in Mexico the two went on to work together on research projects that have revealed how dogs interpret and respond to human language and behaviour.

From BBC Aug. 10, 2026

While she read, I hunched over my plate like a gargoyle, trying to interpret her head tilt.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

A "reasoning model" trained on task-specific examples interprets the goal and formulates Phantom's action plan.

From BBC Jun. 8, 2026

Its on-board AI interprets the data, identifying objects even when mounted on autonomous craft with no remote connectivity.

From The Wall Street Journal May 15, 2026

Saylor was keen to point out “systemically important banks like Morgan Stanley and Citi, all with intent to integrate bitcoin into their operations,” which he interprets as an “embrace of bitcoin as a creditworthy instrument.”

From MarketWatch May 6, 2026

The device detects that change and interprets it as a touch.

From Science Daily Mar. 26, 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

Federal prosecutors dispute everything from how Crenshaw interpreted the acting U.S. attorney’s decision to indict to communications with the attorney general’s office and televised comments Blanche himself made about this case.

From Slate Aug. 23, 2026

The news was widely interpreted as a signal that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was concerned about the recent surge in long‑end yields, says Kristina Clifton, FX strategist at CBA.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 20, 2026

But GoPuff made another part of the bargain newly explicit: convenience was beginning to include having my wants interpreted for me.

From Salon Aug. 20, 2026

“The message was not being clearly interpreted about us being protective of whistleblowers,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 19, 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

The trust has provided guides for patients on how to access interpreting and translation services, increasing the use of interpreters by 50% in one year.

From BBC Aug. 19, 2026

“In performing his music again, 70 years later, these artists are interpreting how his work impacts the music we have today.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 18, 2026

“We are interpreting the flows in August as clients seeking to add duration once yields hit historic highs,” a BlackRock spokesperson said.

From MarketWatch Aug. 17, 2026

Gustavo Duque, mayor of Chacao, a middle-class Caracas neighbourhood, urges caution in interpreting the red sign too simply.

From Barron's Jul. 8, 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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