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to reinterpret

to reinterpret

10 5.8
To explain something again in a different way to give it a new meaning
  • verb
  • /ˌriːɪnˈtɜːrprɪt/
translation icon : reinterpretar
  • We do not so much forget the events of our past as we reinterpret and recontextualize them.
  • reinterpret the past
  • reinterpreting images
  • reinterpret ideas

They actually reinterpret their behavior and call it a virtue.

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Examples

  • Pena's art preserved ceremonial knowledge while reinterpreting it in a new medium.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Shakespeare's so infinite in its, um...ability to be different, to be reinterpreted continually.

  • Why do we have to reinterpret the stuff that we have?

  • But he would have had to reinterpret his own relations with women as well;

    Fiction book (1997)
  • You know, instead of making new things, let's look at what we already have and try and upcycle and reinterpret and change that.

  • Because historians do that, they rewrite history and reinterpret the past.

  • Each artist invited to participate in the show was given an extract from Colored Girls to reinterpret visually.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Moving the date back has forced archaeologists to reinterpret how the shift from Jomon to Yayoi took place.

    Academic text (2008)
  • For generations, his works have been read and reread, translated and reinterpreted, drawing admirers from around the world.

  • Chef Oliver Glowig has earned a Michelin star by reinterpreting traditional Caprese dishes.

Synonyms

to redefine
vsto reinterpret
66 4.9

To give something a new meaning that changes how people see it

alters meaning or perspective without necessarily changing formal definition
to reframe
vsto reinterpret
14 4.8

Change the way you think about something to see it in a better way

alters interpretation but without the specific goal of positivity or usefulness
to reimagine
vsto reinterpret
9 4.7

Think of something in a new way

focuses on changing interpretation rather than creating new versions or fantasies
to recast
vsto reinterpret
9 5.6

Present an idea in a different form or style

changes interpretation or meaning rather than only altering form or style
to reconceptualize
vsto reinterpret
  • Formal
1 8.1

To think about something in a new way

changes interpretation but usually without rebuilding the whole concept
to recontextualize
vsto reinterpret
  • Jargon
1 8.3

Putting something in a new setting changes its meaning

changes meaning without necessarily moving it into a new context
to transvalue
vsto reinterpret
  • Jargon
9.9

To change what something means or how people see its worth

is used more generally and not limited to philosophical value change
to redescribe
vsto reinterpret
4.4

To describe something again in a different way to make it clearer

focuses on changing interpretation or overall meaning rather than only description

How Dismissive

to dismiss
332 3.0
to ignore
1.0
to interpret away
  • Informal
8.0
to reinterpret
10 5.8
to explain
1.0
to address
3.6
to acknowledge
367 3.8

Surface Forms

reinterpret infinitive
reinterpreted past participle
reinterpreting present participle
reinterprets third person singular

Morphology

reinterpret = interpret (transparent) = re + interpret

This is a straightforward use of the productive prefix 're-' with 'interpret', meaning to interpret again or anew.

Etymology

Reinterpret combines re- ('again') and interpret ('to explain the meaning of something'), so to reinterpret is to 'explain again' or give something a new meaning or view.