Meaning & use

interpreted

verb·Academic

Explained the meaning of something, or understood and translated it in a particular way.

See it in a sentence

The judge interpreted the law strictly and ruled against the defendant.

She interpreted his silence as agreement, though he actually disagreed completely.

A note on using this word

Interpreted can mean translating spoken language in real time, or, more broadly, forming a particular understanding of something ambiguous.

Words with a similar meaning

explainedconstruedtranslated

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

misinterpreted

Make it your own

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