reinterpret

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

Examples of reinterpret in a Sentence

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
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.
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

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reinterpret was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Reinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinterpret. Accessed 5 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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