paraphrase

noun

para·phrase | \ˈper-ə-ˌfrāz,

ˈpa-rə-\

Definition of paraphrase

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 work — Times Literary Supplement

paraphrase

verb

paraphrased; paraphrasing

Definition of paraphrase (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to make a paraphrase

transitive verb

: to make a paraphrase of

Other Words from paraphrase Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about paraphrase

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Synonyms & Antonyms for paraphrase

Synonyms: Noun

rephrasing, restatement, restating, rewording, translating, translation

Synonyms: Verb

rephrase, restate, reword, translate

Antonyms: Noun

quotation, quote

Antonyms: Verb

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

Similarly, if their paraphrase is so at odds with what McCabe said, why aren't Democrats making a bigger deal out of it? — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, "The simplest, most fundamental question about the Nunes memo still has no answer. Why?," 26 Feb. 2018 The memo's main substantiation of that claim was a contested paraphrase of testimony that top FBI official Andrew McCabe gave behind closed doors to the House Intelligence Committee — not even a direct quote. — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, "Trump’s increasingly desperate, tortured claims about the Russia probe," 19 May 2018 Democrats quickly claimed the paraphrase was wrong. — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, "The simplest, most fundamental question about the Nunes memo still has no answer. Why?," 26 Feb. 2018 Regularly, Ferry’s translation becomes a kind of paraphrase. — Denis Feeney, New York Times, "David Ferry Won the National Book Award in His 80s. In His 90s, He Has Translated Virgil.," 5 Dec. 2017 Mr. Bishop said, referring to Dr. King’s paraphrase of the 19th-century abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker. — Gretchen Morgenson, New York Times, "Justice Department Weighs In Against Wells Fargo in a Whistle-Blower Suit," 6 June 2017 OK, that’s merely the paraphrase of Kelly’s comments to Sports Illustrated’s MMQB about the quarterback. — Daniel Mano, The Mercury News, "Chip Kelly: Kaepernick’s protest last season was ‘zero distraction’," 31 Mar. 2017 That is author and retired pastor Eugene Peterson’s rendering of Matthew 5:37 in The Message, his popular paraphrase of the Bible that’s sold millions of copies and endeared him to Christians across the theological spectrum. — Matthew Vines, Time, "A Beloved Former Pastor Retracted His Support of Same-Sex Marriage. It Will Harm LGBTQ People More Than He May Know," 14 July 2017 Safranski’s book (a best seller in Germany) is aimed squarely at a German readership of Bildungsbürger, educated and tolerant of abstractions and paraphrases. — Michael Hofmann, New York Times, "He Built Roads. He Oversaw Mines. He Shrank the Deficit. He Was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.," 16 June 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Maybe that’s because, to paraphrase Willie Sutton, cocaine is where the money is. — Mary Anastasia O’grady, WSJ, "A Phony Peace in Colombia," 23 Sep. 2018 To paraphrase some of Lily’s narration, there are three kinds of Salemites: a few good men and women, a few sadistic creeps, and a mass of bystanders who happily participate in misogynistic hate mobs. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Assassination Nation is a vicious, cathartic horror film about misogyny," 21 Sep. 2018 Finally, your citation by Dahl that ‘life is too short to be defined by hate’ (paraphrased) chills me to the bone. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Dem revolt threatens another incumbent," 12 Sep. 2018 To paraphrase Mark Twain, don’t let school get in the way of an education. — Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, "He failed high school chemistry and algebra. Now a doctor, he went to his alma mater to tell graduating seniors about success.," 18 June 2018 To paraphrase the conductor Gustavo Dudamel, music is a fundamental human right. — Peter Dobrin, Philly.com, "The Philadelphia Orchestra's tour of Europe and Israel is done: What did we learn?," 15 June 2018 But to paraphrase the former, faced with a daunting challenge, there's not much gained by fretting about the odds. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Solo' revives thrill of seeing new actors inhabit old roles," 24 May 2018 Okoumou said, paraphrasing former first lady Michelle Obama. — Washington Post, "Statue of Liberty climber unrepentant; Trump calls her clown," 7 July 2018 Still, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to make one early exit from a major tournament looks like misfortune. — SI.com, "Spain Are Back! Why the Last 3 Major Tournaments Aren't a Blip for Football's Great Underachievers," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paraphrase.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for paraphrase

Noun

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

Verb

see paraphrase entry 1

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Dictionary Entries near paraphrase

Statistics for paraphrase

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Time Traveler for paraphrase

The first known use of paraphrase was in 1548

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More Definitions for paraphrase

paraphrase

noun

English Language Learners Definition of paraphrase

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a statement that says something that another person has said or written in a different way

paraphrase

verb

English Language Learners Definition of paraphrase (Entry 2 of 2)

: to say (something that someone else has said or written) using different words

See the full definition for paraphrase in the English Language Learners Dictionary

paraphrase

verb

para·phrase | \ˈper-ə-ˌfrāz

\

paraphrased; paraphrasing

Kids Definition of paraphrase

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to give the meaning of in different words

paraphrase

noun

Kids Definition of paraphrase (Entry 2 of 2)

: a way of stating something again by giving the meaning in different words

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