Definition of paraphrase
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
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Examples of paraphrase in a Sentence
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
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.
Origin and Etymology of paraphrase
Middle French, from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek, from paraphrazein to paraphrase, from para- + phrazein to point out
First Known Use: 1548
paraphrase
Definition of paraphrase
paraphrased
;paraphrasing
intransitive verb
: to make a paraphrase
transitive verb
: to make a paraphrase of
paraphraser
nounExamples of paraphrase in a Sentence
I'm paraphrasing, but he did say something like that.
could you paraphrase your diagnosis of my medical condition, using simpler language?
Origin and Etymology of paraphrase
see 1paraphrase
First Known Use: 1598
PARAPHRASE Defined for English Language Learners
paraphrase
playDefinition of paraphrase for English Language Learners
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: a statement that says something that another person has said or written in a different way
paraphrase
Definition of paraphrase for English Language Learners
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: to say (something that someone else has said or written) using different words
PARAPHRASE Defined for Kids
Definition of paraphrase for Students
paraphrased
;paraphrasing
: to give the meaning of in different words
Definition of paraphrase for Students
: a way of stating something again by giving the meaning in different words
Learn More about paraphrase
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See words that rhyme with paraphrase Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for paraphrase Spanish Central: Translation of paraphrase Nglish: Translation of paraphrase for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of paraphrase for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about paraphrase
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