reinterpret

1 of 2

verb

re·​in·​ter·​pret ˌrē-ən-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce reinterpret (audio)
-pət
reinterpreted; reinterpreting; reinterprets

transitive verb

: to interpret again
specifically : to give a new or different interpretation to
reinterpretation noun

reinterpretation

2 of 2

noun

re·​interpretation "+ How to pronounce reinterpretation (audio)
: the action of reinterpreting or the state of being reinterpreted
reinterpretation of borrowed behavior patternsRalph Linton
the scholarly revaluation and reinterpretation of formYale Review

Examples of reinterpret in a Sentence

Verb New information may force us to reinterpret the evidence. The director wants to reinterpret the old play for a modern audience.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Young artists of the 1960s were no longer simply collecting and reinterpreting old songs. Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 The collection reinterprets the serpent’s scales through flexible articulated gold links that wrap around diamonds, rubellites, tourmalines, emeralds and sapphires. Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Republicans are mounting a push for courts to reinterpret a longstanding ban on mass purges of voter rolls just before a federal election. Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 1 July 2026 The ancient Greek poem the Odyssey, attributed to Homer, has endured for thousands of years, partly by being translated, reinterpreted, and adapted into novel art forms. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reinterpret

Word History

Etymology

Noun

re- + interpretation

First Known Use

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reinterpret was in 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinterpret. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

reinterpret

verb
re·​in·​ter·​pret ˌrē-ən-ˈtər-prət How to pronounce reinterpret (audio)
: to interpret again
especially : to give a new or different interpretation to
reinterpretation noun

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