Word
interpreter
Phoneticsin·ter·preter
US/ˌɪnˈtɝpɹətɝ/
UK/ɪntˈɜːpɹɪtɐ/
Definitions
01language translator
n. a person who translates spoken words from one language into another as someone is speaking.
n. a professional who facilitates communication between speakers of different languages by translating oral or signed discourse in real-time.
“The president spoke to the foreign visitors through a Japanese interpreter.”
“The conference provided simultaneous interpreters for all six official languages to ensure that every delegate could participate in the debate without delay.”
Usage
Often used with 'for' to indicate the person or group being assisted.
Pitfall
The book was written by a famous interpreter.
The book was written by a famous translator.
Use 'interpreter' for spoken or signed language and 'translator' for written text.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'translator'; emphasize that an interpreter works with live speech, not written documents.
Synonyms
02artistic or data analyst
n. someone who explains the meaning of a piece of art, a law, or a set of facts.
n. an individual who provides a specific explanation, version, or creative rendering of a work, text, or data set.
“She is a famous interpreter of classical music who plays with great emotion.”
“As a leading interpreter of constitutional law, the judge was frequently called upon to clarify the original intent of the founding documents.”
Formal
Synonyms
03computing
n. a computer program that reads and follows instructions in a programming language one line at a time.
n. a computer program that directly executes instructions written in a programming or scripting language without requiring them to be previously compiled into machine code.
“Python uses an interpreter to run code, which makes it easy to test small changes quickly.”
“The script failed because the local interpreter was an older version that did not support the latest syntax features.”
Technical
Usage
Usually functions as a countable noun in technical documentation.
Teaching tip
Contrast this with a 'compiler', which translates the whole program before running it.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“A deaf woman was given the wrong vaccine because she was not provided with a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter at her doctor's surgery, a report says.” “After receiving a letter from the Law Society's president, Mitchell said it was important that he read portions of it to the defendant, who listened with the aid of an interpreter.” “When asked a question, though, Deal turned to a colleague, who acted as interpreter.” Etymology
From Middle English interpreter, interpretour, etc., from Old French interpreteur, interpreteeur, etc., from Late Latin interpretātōr, from classical Latin interpretātus (“explained, translated”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from interpretārī (“to explain, to translate”), from interpres (“go-between, translator”) + -ārī (“to be ~ed”), q.v. In reference to divine emissaries, a calque of Mercury's Latin epithet interpres divum (“go-between of the gods”). In reference to the rhetorical device, a calque of Latin interpretatio. Equivalent to interpret + -er. Displaced native Old English wealhstod.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.