DIMENSIONS: EVALUATION / Perspective
To INTERPRET is to give the meaning of something by paraphrase, by translation, or by an explanation (sometimes involving one's personal opinion and therefore original), which is often of a systematic and detailed nature: to interpret a poem.
Interpretation may be considered in its application to Mood, Tone, Style, Attitude, Contenance, Attribution, Context, Import, Perspective. Qualities.
R E F E R E N C E S
Set forth or give the meaning of something
Perform or render according to one's understanding or sensitivity
Elucidation
Explication
Conception
Rendering
Tanslation
Explanation
To Construe
To Understand in a particular way
To Paraphrase
Tanslate
Explain
R E F E R E N C E S
Interpretation 1. the act of interpreting; elucidation; explication. 2. an elucidation or explanation, as of a creative work, political event, or the like. 3. a conception of another's behavior: a charitable interpretation of his tactlessness. 4. the rendering of music, a dramatic part, etc., so as to bring out the meaning, or to indicate one's particular conception of it. 5. translation. [ME interpretacio(u)n < L interpretátión- (s. of interpretátió)]
Interpret 1. to set forth the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate: to interpret a parable. 2. to construe, or understand in a particular way: to interpret a reply as favorable. 3. to perform or render (a song, role in a play, etc.) according to one's understanding or sensitivity. 4. to translate. 5. Computer Technol. to translate (a stored program expressed in pseudo-code) into machine language and to perform the indicated operations as they are translated. -v.i. 6. to translate what is said in a foreign language. 7. to explain something; give an explanation. ...interpret- (s. of interprets explainer; See INTER-, PRICE) ... -Syn. 1. see Explain [EXPLAIN, ELUCIDATE, EXPOUND, INTERPRET imply making the meaning of something clear or understandable. To EXPLAIN is to make plain, clear, or intelligible something that is not known or understood: to explain a theory or a problem. To ELUCIDATE is to throw light on what before was dark and obscure, usually by illustration and commentary and sometimes by elaborate explanation: they asked him to elucidate his statement. To EXPOUND is to give a methodical, detailed, scholarly explanation of something, usually Scriptures, doctrines, or philosophy: to expound the doctrine of free will. To INTERPRET is to give the meaning of something by paraphrase, by translation, or by an explanation (sometimes involving one's personal opinion and therefore original), which is often of a systematic and detailed nature: to interpret a poem.
[Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House, 1968.]
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