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
One of a handful of centuries-old lighthouses still standing in the Outer Banks today, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is open to visitors at ground level and often has National Park Service interpreters on site to share information about the beacon.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
My father, Richard Sonnenfeldt, was a German Jewish refugee who fled to England in 1938 and then, at 23, became the chief interpreter for the American prosecution at the Nuremberg trials, and ultimately Hermann Göring’s personal interpreter.
—Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
The episode also features an important scene where Cardellini’s character Carol explains to her son the meaning behind a sign his stepfather, an ASL interpreter, delivers before his death.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 May 2026
That move reframes my role from oracle to interpreter, which is closer to what clients actually need from me anyway.
—Michele Zanello, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for interpreter
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Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
My father, Richard Sonnenfeldt, was a German Jewish refugee who fled to England in 1938 and then, at 23, became the chief interpreter for the American prosecution at the Nuremberg trials, and ultimately Hermann Göring’s personal interpreter.
—Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
The episode also features an important scene where Cardellini’s character Carol explains to her son the meaning behind a sign his stepfather, an ASL interpreter, delivers before his death.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 May 2026
That move reframes my role from oracle to interpreter, which is closer to what clients actually need from me anyway.
—Michele Zanello, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for interpreter
Cite this Entry
“Interpreter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interpreter. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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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