interpretation.

1. The assignment or understanding of meaning in a text, event or situation.

2. An artistic rendering of a work through performance or presentation.

3. The oral or signed rendering of communication from one language into another.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• interpretation of evidence
• textual interpretation

On the page

The interpretation of the evidence depended on its original context.

A different textual interpretation preserved the same recorded wording.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable; singular interpretation and plural interpretations for readings or artistic renderings. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: explicit explanation, scope and categorization, proof and interpretation, philosophical foundations. Disciplines: academic writing, formal reasoning, philosophy. Commonness: moderately common.