Interpretation

How to spell interpretation

14 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce interpretation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does interpretation mean?

1. nounThe act of explaining or the explanation given for the meaning of something.
2. nounA performer's distinctive way of rendering a piece of music, a role, or a work.

Interpretation in a sentence

• The lawyer offered a careful interpretation of the contract clause.

• The pianist's interpretation of the sonata earned a standing ovation.

• Her interpretation of the poem differed sharply from the teacher's.

• Critics praised her bold interpretation of the lead role.

Where does interpretation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Latin interpretari, meaning 'to explain, translate, or understand', which was built on the noun interpres, an agent or go-between who negotiated and explained matters between two parties. The literal idea was of someone standing between people and making one side's meaning clear to the other. From this came the Latin noun interpretatio, the act of explaining or translating, and English borrowed the word through Old French in the 1300s. Over time it broadened from the courtroom and diplomatic senses of explaining a text or treaty to cover any explanation of meaning, including a performer's reading of a piece of music. The spelling preserves the inter- prefix and the buried -pret- root, so remembering it as 'inter' plus 'pret' plus 'ation' helps avoid dropping the unstressed middle vowel.

How the word is built

• inter- (between)
• pret (from interpres: agent, negotiator, explainer)
• -ation (noun of action)