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
Pam Freir2
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
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
Five decades later, Microsoft stands as a survivor of tech’s brutal evolutionary cycles, transforming from a scrappy BASIC interpreter vendor to an operating system kingpin, an internet also-ran, a stagnating giant, and now a cloud computing and AI player worth almost $3 trillion.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025
Throughout this chaotic finale, Flea played trumpet, Rogers stared (seemingly awestruck) at Springsteen, Kaye tried to get the audience to clap as the ASL interpreters joined the fracas.
—Caryn Rose, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
That includes kids who receive special education, but also those in general education classrooms who get supports or accommodations to learn, from speech therapy to sign language interpreters to counseling.
—Anna North, Vox, 13 Mar. 2025
World leaders use interpreters for a reason when having high-level meetings to avoid such subtle misunderstandings.
—Mick Mulvaney, The Hill, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interpreter
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Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025
Throughout this chaotic finale, Flea played trumpet, Rogers stared (seemingly awestruck) at Springsteen, Kaye tried to get the audience to clap as the ASL interpreters joined the fracas.
—Caryn Rose, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
That includes kids who receive special education, but also those in general education classrooms who get supports or accommodations to learn, from speech therapy to sign language interpreters to counseling.
—Anna North, Vox, 13 Mar. 2025
World leaders use interpreters for a reason when having high-level meetings to avoid such subtle misunderstandings.
—Mick Mulvaney, The Hill, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interpreter
Cite this Entry
“Interpreter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interpreter. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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