1
as in explanation
a statement that makes something clear
that's one possible interpretation of that cryptic remark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in version
a presentation of an artistic work (as a piece of music) from a particular point of view
a sensitive interpretation of a piece that is a touchstone for violinists
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in variation
a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play)
a very Freudian interpretation of The Nutcracker
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of interpretation
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the Chevron doctrine, which for 40 years had obligated courts to defer to agency interpretation when a statute was ambiguous and when the accompanying agency interpretation was reasonable or permissible.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025
His statement was like a key to unlocking my own perceptions of how cinema can release unlimited interpretations and feelings.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
Incorporating these elements may be a challenge—and to Yoshida’s point, a bit too on-the-nose for this sophisticated interpretation of style.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Jan. 2025
These States seek to convince the Court to adopt an interpretation that completely reverses what these treaties actually say and are intended to mean.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for interpretation 
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025
His statement was like a key to unlocking my own perceptions of how cinema can release unlimited interpretations and feelings.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
Incorporating these elements may be a challenge—and to Yoshida’s point, a bit too on-the-nose for this sophisticated interpretation of style.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Jan. 2025
These States seek to convince the Court to adopt an interpretation that completely reverses what these treaties actually say and are intended to mean.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for interpretation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interpretation
Noun
-
That's just one possible explanation for the slowdown that the pandemic worsened.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Many experts suspect that the hormonal changes of perimenopause are at least part of the explanation, Dr. Edwards says.—
Amy Norton,
SELF,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Previous versions of Allen were all systems go, all the time.—
Derrik Klassen,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Rather than a unisex fit, the men’s and women’s versions fit differently, which our tester loved—the material actually wrapped around her fingers properly and fit, well, like a glove.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The two tones are closely related, and while there are the sections of lighter hair clearly pop, the variation is unbelievably smooth (much like the blowout itself).—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Weather data from cities across the state suggest that while temperatures are gradually rebounding, variations persist in different regions.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
And that was really what started this concept of the illustrations, and the story happening in the book.—
Gillian Telling,
People.com,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Photograph: Mother Jones illustration; Getty This story originally appeared on Mother Jones and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.—
Anna Merlan,
WIRED,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The Irish crossover star did indeed do just that a decade ago, with a sweetly tender BBC Live Lounge rendition of the stomping late-night staple.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Robert Eggers first encountered F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu at the precocious age of 9 after seeing a photo of Max Schreck in costume as Count Orlok, an unauthorized take on Dracula who’s gone on to become as iconic as any rendition of Bram Stoker’s vampire.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
And then the take ended and everyone on set was crying.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2025
-
With long, unbroken takes of two strangers walking and talking, Linklater lets the technical aspects disappear into the story, achieving a remarkable synthesis of directing style and substance.—
Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante,
EW.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Rather than deal with subtitles or translations, the characters use accents when speaking English in the play but then remove them when speaking Farsi, thus replicating the experience of non-native speakers from the audience’s perspective.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2025
-
But in 2016, artificial intelligence had opened new possibilities for machine translation.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The film, which is set to include over 30 songs and a plethora of performances to match its icon, was previously set to release in April.—
Marc Griffin,
VIBE.com,
24 Jan. 2025
-
But that’s not the most impressive aspect of his nightly performances — not to head coach Ime Udoka, whose focus is generally directed to the other end.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near interpretation
Cite this Entry
“Interpretation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interpretation. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share