interpretation

American  

[in-tur-pri-tey-shuhn] / ɪnˌtɜr prɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of interpreting; elucidation; explication.

   This writer's work demands interpretation.

2. an explanation of the meaning of another's artistic or creative work; an elucidation.

   an interpretation of a poem.

3. a conception of another's behavior.

   a charitable interpretation of his tactlessness.

4. a way of interpreting.

5. the rendering of a dramatic part, music, etc., so as to bring out the meaning, or to indicate one's particular conception of it.

6. oral translation.

---

interpretation British  

/ ɪnˌtɜːprɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of interpreting or explaining; elucidation

2. the result of interpreting; an explanation

3. a particular view of an artistic work, esp as expressed by stylistic individuality in its performance

4. explanation, as of the environment, a historical site, etc, provided by the use of original objects, personal experience, visual display material, etc

5. logic an allocation of significance to the terms of a purely formal system, by specifying ranges for the variables, denotations for the individual constants, etc; a function from the formal language to such elements of a possible world

---

Other Word Forms

• interpretational adjective
• noninterpretational adjective
• overinterpretation noun
• preinterpretation noun
• reinterpretation noun
• self-interpretation noun

Etymology

Origin of interpretation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin interpretātiōn-, stem of interpretātiō; equivalent to interpret ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

It’s the latter portion — “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” — that leaves room for interpretation, forming the beachhead upon which legal arguments against birthright citizenship have been mounted.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

"They're buying the layer where interpretation happens," she added on LinkedIn.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

In a recent study published in Geology, Martindale and her colleagues propose a new interpretation that connects geological processes with biological activity.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

But what does it mean to be “subject to the jurisdiction thereof”? Elena Kagan pressed the government on its interpretation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

It is an institutional fact because contracts depend on the interpretation of dates.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• analysis
• clarification
• explanation
• judgment
• meaning
• perception
• reading
• translation