PARAPHRASE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does paraphrase mean? 

• PARAPHRASE (noun)
  The noun PARAPHRASE has 1 sense:

1. rewording for the purpose of clarification

  Familiarity information: PARAPHRASE used as a noun is very rare.

• PARAPHRASE (verb)
  The verb PARAPHRASE has 1 sense:

1. express the same message in different words

  Familiarity information: PARAPHRASE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PARAPHRASE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Rewording for the purpose of clarification

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

paraphrase; paraphrasis

Hypernyms ("paraphrase" is a kind of...):

recasting; rephrasing; rewording (changing a particular word or phrase)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "paraphrase"):

translation (rewording something in less technical terminology)

Derivation:

paraphrase (express the same message in different words)

paraphrastic (altered by paraphrasing)

• PARAPHRASE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they paraphrase    ... he / she / it paraphrases   
Past simple: paraphrased   
Past participle: paraphrased   
-ing form: paraphrasing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Express the same message in different words

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

paraphrase; rephrase; reword

Hypernyms (to "paraphrase" is one way to...):

ingeminate; iterate; reiterate; repeat; restate; retell (to say, state, or perform again)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "paraphrase"):

translate (express, as in simple and less technical language)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

paraphrase (rewording for the purpose of clarification)

 Context examples 

Poor Peggotty lifted up her hands and eyes, and only answered, in a sort of paraphrase of the grace I usually repeated after dinner, Lord forgive you, Mrs. Copperfield, and for what you have said this minute, may you never be truly sorry!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)