Interpreted

How to spell interpreted

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce interpreted

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does interpreted mean?

1. verbExplained or understood the meaning of something in a particular way.
2. verbTranslated spoken words from one language into another, especially in real time.

Interpreted in a sentence

• The lawyer interpreted the disputed clause in favour of the tenant.

• The guide interpreted the mayor's speech for the visiting delegates.

• He interpreted her long silence as a sign of disagreement.

• A court official interpreted the witness testimony into English.

Where does interpreted come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The base verb interpret comes from the Latin interpretari, meaning 'to explain' or 'to translate', which was formed from the noun interpres, a negotiator, agent, or go-between who stood between two parties. The first element inter- clearly means 'between', but scholars are genuinely unsure about the second part: it may relate to pretium 'price' (as in someone who haggles a price between buyers) or to a root meaning 'to spread abroad'. English took the word in through Old French in the 1300s, when it meant to explain the meaning of something or to act as a translator between speakers of different languages. The past-tense form interpreted simply adds the regular -ed ending, and the single t before that ending (not a doubled one) is the main spelling point, because the stress falls earlier in the word on the second syllable.

How the word is built

• inter- (between)
• pret (Latin interpres: agent, go-between)
• -ed (past tense suffix)