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
Speakers include Zachary Elledge, park interpreter at the Powhatan park; Angela Gibbs, park curator at Jacksonport State Park; and Bonnie Marberry, park interpreter at Davidsonville Historic State Park.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
Nick Schrandt, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004, is also advocating for his former interpreter stranded in a third country.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
My role became part interpreter, part mediator, ensuring instructions were understood and executed.
—Nathanael Bondu, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
The interpreter translated these human-readable commands into instructions that the processor could execute, one line at a time.
—ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interpreter
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Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
Nick Schrandt, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004, is also advocating for his former interpreter stranded in a third country.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
My role became part interpreter, part mediator, ensuring instructions were understood and executed.
—Nathanael Bondu, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
The interpreter translated these human-readable commands into instructions that the processor could execute, one line at a time.
—ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 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 8 Sep. 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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