interpreter

noun

in·​ter·​pret·​er in-ˈtər-prə-tər 

-pə-

plural interpreters

1

: someone or something that interprets: such as

a

: someone who translates for individuals or groups conversing in different languages

an interpreter at the United Nations

a sign language interpreter

b

: someone who explains or expounds

Aside from his Nobel Prize-winning work on quantum electrodynamics (don't ask), [Richard P.] Feynman was an interpreter of Maya hieroglyphics …

—Pam Freir

2

a

: a machine that prints on punch cards the symbols recorded in them by perforations

b

: a computer program that executes each of a set of high-level instructions before going to the next instruction

Synonyms

• exponent
• expounder
• guru
• high priest
• practitioner

Examples of interpreter in a Sentence

He has now learned English well enough that he can conduct interviews without an interpreter.

Monet is generally regarded as the foremost interpreter of pure impressionism.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Ohtani’s latest MVP season began in unexpectedly dramatic fashion March 20, when his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired following a 5-2 win over the Padres in Korea after ESPN reported Mizuhara paid off gambling debts by wiring money from Ohtani’s account. —Jerry Beach, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

But if there wasn't a language in common, ancient people would have turned to an interpreter. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024

His previous interpreter entangled Ohtani in scandal, having pleaded guilty to stealing nearly seventeen million dollars from Ohtani’s bank accounts to pay off gambling debts. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024

There’s talk about the repatriation as a gesture meant to boost the image of France, or as a political act on the part of Beninese president Patrice Talon, who, as one student points out, is the descendant of interpreters who helped allow the thefts to happen in the first place. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing interpreter

• through an interpreter

Kids Definition

interpreter

noun

in·​ter·​pret·​er in-ˈtər-prət-ər 

1

: one that interprets

especially : a person who translates orally for people speaking different languages

2

: a computer program that translates an instruction into machine language and executes it before going to the next instruction