paraphrase

1 of 2

noun

para·​phrase ˈper-ə-ˌfrāz How to pronounce paraphrase (audio)
ˈpa-rə-
1
: a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form
The teacher asked the students to write a paraphrase of the poem.
2
: the use or process of paraphrasing in studying or teaching composition
paraphrase, which aims rather at recapturing the general impression of a foreign workTimes Literary Supplement

paraphrase

2 of 2

verb

paraphrased; paraphrasing

intransitive verb

: to make a paraphrase

transitive verb

: to make a paraphrase of
paraphrasable adjective
paraphraser noun

Did you know?

When we paraphrase, we provide a version that can exist beside the original (rather than replace it). We paraphrase all the time. When you tell a friend what someone else has said, you're almost always paraphrasing, since you're not repeating the exact words. If you go to hear a talk, you might paraphrase the speaker's main points afterward for your friends. And when writing a paper on a short story, you might start off your essay with a paraphrase of the plot. Paraphrasing is especially useful when dealing with poetry, since poetic language is often difficult and poems may have meanings that are hard to pin down.

Examples of paraphrase in a Sentence

Noun This is just a paraphrase of what he said, not an exact quote. your essays on human rights should have some original thought and not be simply a paraphrase of what's in the textbook Verb I'm paraphrasing, but he did say something like that. could you paraphrase your diagnosis of my medical condition, using simpler language?
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The latter is a paraphrase of Shelwyn Weston, a senior wealth manager at Goldman Sachs back in 1998. John Tamny, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 What sets Grok apart from its competitors is its real-time access to X data, which the chatbot paraphrases and directly surfaces in a carousel interface. Isabel Fraser, WIRED, 18 July 2024
Verb
Seems fair enough, but to poorly paraphrase Heath Ledger’s Joker… why so generous? Dalton Ross, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024 The lawsuit claims ExxonMobil has misled the public for decades over the ability to recycle plastic waste, and that plastics recycling was, to paraphrase, overhyped. Ed Hirs, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for paraphrase 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paraphrase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle French, from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek, from paraphrazein to paraphrase, from para- + phrazein to point out

First Known Use

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of paraphrase was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near paraphrase

Cite this Entry

“Paraphrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paraphrase. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

paraphrase

1 of 2 noun
para·​phrase ˈpar-ə-ˌfrāz How to pronounce paraphrase (audio)
: a way of stating something (as a written work) again by giving the meaning in different words

paraphrase

2 of 2 verb
paraphrased; paraphrasing
: to give the meaning in different words
paraphrased the author's account
paraphraser noun

More from Merriam-Webster on paraphrase

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