- 1 the particular way in which something is understood or explained Her evidence suggests a different interpretation of the events. It is not possible for everyone to put their own interpretation on the law. Dreams are open to interpretation (= they can be explained in different ways). Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecorrect, right, true, … verb + interpretationgive something, make, offer, … phrasesput an interpretation on something See full entry
- 2the particular way in which somebody chooses to perform a piece of music, a role in a play, etc. a modern interpretation of ‘King Lear’ Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecorrect, right, true, … verb + interpretationgive something, make, offer, … phrasesput an interpretation on something See full entry See related entries: Describing music, Producing a play Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French interpretation or Latin interpretatio(n-), from the verb interpretari ‘explain, translate’, from interpres, interpret- ‘agent, translator, interpreter’.Extra examples His writings reflect his conservative views on Biblical interpretation. In any system of law, there is an inevitable element of judicial interpretation. In practice, this law is often given a wide interpretation by the police. It is possible to put an entirely different interpretation on her behaviour. Most modern historians support this interpretation. Scientists made an interpretation based on the data available. She challenges many orthodox interpretations of religious texts. The film lends itself to a fairly straightforward interpretation. The meaning of the incident is open to subjective interpretation. The wording of this section of the contract is open to interpretation. feminist historical interpretations of marriage customs Dreams are open to interpretation. Her evidence suggests a different interpretation of the events leading to his death.
noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//ɪnˌtɜːprɪˈteɪʃn//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˌtɜːrprɪˈteɪʃn//
[countable, uncountable] Describing music, Producing a playCheck pronunciation: interpretation
