Reinterpret

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To provide a new meaning or explanation to something previously understood in a different way
2. To change the way something is understood by giving it a different interpretation
3. To look at something afresh and explain it from another perspective or meaning

Etymology: "Reinterpret" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back," attached to "interpret." The base word "interpret" came into English from Old French, which took it from Latin "interpretari," meaning "to explain, translate, or expound," and "interpres," an agent who mediated between parties, typically a translator or go-between. The Latin roots themselves combine "inter," "between," with a root tied to negotiating or bargaining, so an interpreter was originally someone standing between two sides. Adding "re-" creates the sense of taking something that already has a meaning and giving it a new reading, as if the original explanation were being handed back for another look. The prefix "re-" comes directly from Latin and is among the most productive prefixes in English, which is why the word feels so ordinary today.

Synonyms: reexamine, reassess, reconsider, redefine, recast

Antonyms: misinterpret, misunderstand