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

2

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

Synonyms of interpreter

• practitioner
• exponent

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

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced earlier that the soldiers and interpreter were targeted in the central Syrian town of Palmyra in an attack that left three others wounded. —Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

They are required to declare if an interpreter or preparer assisted in completing the petition and certify the accuracy of all information provided. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Detainees also must be given a list of pro bono attorneys in English and Spanish upon arrival at the facility, along with interpreter services if needed. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

But to Sahm—a former Fed economist, recession-indicator architect, and one of the central bank’s most closely watched outside interpreters—the more consequential question isn’t what the Fed does on Wednesday. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing interpreter

• through an interpreter

Kids 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