Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.
  • noun The restatement of texts in other words as a studying or teaching device.
  • noun The adaptation or alteration of a text or quotation to serve a different purpose from that of the original.
  • intransitive verb To restate using different words, especially to clarify.
  • intransitive verb To adapt or alter (a text or quotation) to serve a different purpose from that of the original.
  • intransitive verb To compose a paraphrase.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A restatement of a text or passage, giving the sense of the original in other words, generally in fuller terms and with greater detail, for the sake of clearer and more complete exposition: opposed to metaphrase. When the original is in a foreign language, translation and paraphrase may be combined.
  • noun Specifically, in Scotland, one of sixty-seven versified renderings of as many selected passages of Scripture, usually bound up with the metrical psalms, and like them sung in church, etc.
  • noun In instrumental music, a transcription; a variation. Also paraphrasis.
  • To restate or translate with latitude; interpret; construe; unfold and express the sense of (an author) with greater clearness and particularity by substituting other words for his own.
  • To interpret or amplify by change of words; make a paraphrase.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A restatement of a text, passage, or work, expressing the meaning of the original in another form, generally for the sake of its clearer and fuller exposition; a setting forth the signification of a text in other and ampler terms; a free translation or rendering; -- opposed to metaphrase.
  • transitive verb To express, interpret, or translate with latitude; to give the meaning of a passage in other language.
  • intransitive verb To make a paraphrase.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning.
  • verb To restate something as, or to compose a paraphrase.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb express the same message in different words
  • noun rewording for the purpose of clarification

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek, from paraphrazein, to paraphrase : para-, alongside; see para– + phrazein, to show, explain; see gwhren- in Indo-European roots.]

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