Meaning & use

paraphrase

verb·Academic

To express the meaning of a text or speech using different words, often more simply.

See it in a sentence

The teacher asked students to paraphrase the poem's final stanza in their own words.

Instead of quoting the report directly, the journalist chose to paraphrase its main findings.

A note on using this word

A paraphrase keeps the original meaning but changes the wording, which distinguishes it from a direct quotation.

Words with a similar meaning

rewordrestate

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

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A restatement of a text or speech in different words, keeping the original meaning.

Her paraphrase of the contract's clause made the legal language much easier to understand.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “paraphrase”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.