interpret

Verb
Synonyms: construeseerederenderrepresenttranslateunderstandread

WordNet 3.0

Verb (6)

  1. make sense of; assign a meaning to“What message do you see in this letter?”“How do you interpret his behavior?”Synonyms: construesee
  2. give an interpretation or explanation toSynonyms: rede
  3. give an interpretation or rendition of“The pianist rendered the Beethoven sonata beautifully”Synonyms: render
  4. create an image or likeness of“The painter represented his wife as a young girl”Synonyms: represent
  5. restate (words) from one language into another language“I have to translate when my in-laws from Austria visit the U.S.”“Can you interpret the speech of the visiting dignitaries?”“She rendered the French poem into English”“He translates for the U.N.”Synonyms: translaterender
  6. make sense of a language“She understands French”“Can you read Greek?”Synonyms: understandreadtranslate
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Interpret \In*ter"pret\, v. i. To act as an interpreter. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Interpret \In*ter"pret\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Interpreted; p. pr. & vb. n. Interpreting.] [F. interpr[^e]ter, L. interpretari, p. p. interpretatus, fr. interpres interpeter, agent, negotiator; inter between + (prob.) the root of pretium price. See Price.] [1913 Webster]

1.To explain or tell the meaning of; to expound; to translate orally into intelligible or familiar language or terms; to decipher; to define; -- applied esp. to language, but also to dreams, signs, conduct, mysteries, etc.; as, to interpret the Hebrew language to an Englishman; to interpret an Indian speech. [1913 Webster]

Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.— Matt. i. 23.[1913 Webster]
And Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.— Gen. xli. 8.[1913 Webster]

2.To apprehend and represent by means of art; to show by illustrative representation; as, an actor interprets the character of Hamlet; a musician interprets a sonata; an artist interprets a landscape.

Syn: To translate; explain; solve; render; expound; elucidate; decipher; unfold; unravel. [1913 Webster]

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