as in interpretive
serving to explain
fundamentalists who believe that the Bible means exactly what it says and thus requires no interpretative commentary
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Recent Examples of interpretative
Emmie’s condition is an interpretative riddle for both her parents and the reader.
—
Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Will the academy troll Chalamet (and the rest of us) with an interpretative dance performance?
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Fleming’s sets feel like an interpretative dance-heavy trip through one person’s notes app list of intrusive thoughts.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Every adaptation is its own interpretative argument, including this one, and its success depends on how well the production makes that argument.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
There are various interpretative signs and points of interest along the way, including famous Creek Street and both Ketchikan museums.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
With her powerful voice and hypnotic interpretative quality, Peluso seems tailor-made for this.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025
The language of the policy is expansive and gives the league interpretative latitude.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Will the academy troll Chalamet (and the rest of us) with an interpretative dance performance?
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Fleming’s sets feel like an interpretative dance-heavy trip through one person’s notes app list of intrusive thoughts.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Every adaptation is its own interpretative argument, including this one, and its success depends on how well the production makes that argument.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
There are various interpretative signs and points of interest along the way, including famous Creek Street and both Ketchikan museums.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
With her powerful voice and hypnotic interpretative quality, Peluso seems tailor-made for this.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025
The language of the policy is expansive and gives the league interpretative latitude.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interpretative
Adjective
-
The plan is to turn the station into an interpretive center, where people can learn about the family’s story and the stories of Black travelers during Jim Crow.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Barbie Zelizer refers to the place where meanings are constructed, shared, and redefined as the interpretive community of journalism.—
Florian Wintterlin,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s illustrative, not guaranteed, and real returns will vary with market conditions.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But last night was illustrative of his season so far.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Interpretative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interpretative. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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