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Definition of paraphrase
(Entry 1 of 2)
Definition of paraphrase (Entry 2 of 2)
intransitive verb
transitive verb
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When we paraphrase, we provide a version that can exist beside the original (rather than replace it). We paraphrase all the time. When you tell a friend what someone else has said, you're almost always paraphrasing, since you're not repeating the exact words. If you go to hear a talk, you might paraphrase the speaker's main points afterward for your friends. And when writing a paper on a short story, you might start off your essay with a paraphrase of the plot. Paraphrasing is especially useful when dealing with poetry, since poetic language is often difficult and poems may have meanings that are hard to pin down.
- restatement
- translating
- translation
Examples of paraphrase in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paraphrase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun and Verb
Middle French, from Latin paraphrasis , from Greek, from paraphrazein to paraphrase, from para- + phrazein to point out
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1
1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Articles Related to paraphrase
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Dictionary Entries Near paraphrase
paraphrasis
Cite this Entry
“Paraphrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paraphrase. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of paraphrase.
Kids Definition of paraphrase (Entry 2 of 2)
More from Merriam-Webster on paraphrase
Nglish: Translation of paraphrase for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of paraphrase for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about paraphrase
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Paraphrasing - an overview
Paraphrasing is ..., what are the differences between quoting, paraphrasing & summarising .
- Why Paraphrase?
- Paraphrasing versus Plagiarism
- The Do's and Don'ts of Paraphrasing
- Paraphrasing - examples
- Further Information
Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else’s thoughts or ideas in your own words. You must always cite your source when paraphrasing’ (Pears & Shields, 2019 p. 245).
(Solas English, 2017)
- Quoting means using someone else’s exact words and putting them in quotation marks..
- Paraphrasing means expressing someone else’s ideas in your own voice, while keeping the same essential meaning.
- Summarising means taking a long passage of text from someone else and condensing the main ideas in your own words.
Watch the video below for more information.
(UNC Writing Center, 2019)
- Next: Why Paraphrase? >>
- Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 3:42 PM
- URL: https://lit.libguides.com/paraphrasing
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Definition of 'paraphrase'
paraphrase in British English
Paraphrase in american english, examples of 'paraphrase' in a sentence paraphrase, trends of paraphrase.
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In other languages paraphrase
- American English : paraphrase / ˈpærəfreɪz /
- Brazilian Portuguese : parafrasear
- Chinese : 释义
- European Spanish : parafrasear
- French : paraphraser
- German : umschreiben
- Italian : parafrasare
- Japanese : 別の言葉で言い換える
- Korean : 다른 말로 바꿔서 설명하다
- European Portuguese : parafrasear
- Latin American Spanish : parafrasear
- Brazilian Portuguese : paráfrase
- Chinese : 改述
- European Spanish : paráfrasis
- French : paraphrase
- German : Umschreibung
- Italian : parafrasi
- Japanese : 言い換え
- Korean : 다른 말로 바꿔서 설명한 것
- European Portuguese : paráfrase
- Latin American Spanish : paráfrasis
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Definition of paraphrase verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
- Try to paraphrase the question before you answer it.
Questions about grammar and vocabulary?
Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.
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Meaning of paraphrasing in English
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- din something into someone
- drum something into someone
- flog yourself to death idiom
- reassertion
- recapitulate
- regurgitate
- reiteration
- repetitively
- restatement
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IMAGES
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COMMENTS
The QuillBot's Paraphraser is fast, free, and easy to use, making it the best paraphrasing tool on the market. You can compare results from 9 predefined modes and use the remarkable Custom mode to define and create an unlimited number of Custom modes. The built-in thesaurus helps you customize your paraphrases, and the rephrase option means you ...
Accurate: Reliable and grammatically correct paraphrasing. No sign-up required: We don't need your data for you to use our paraphrasing tool. Super simple to use: A simple interface even your grandma could use. It's 100% free: No hidden costs, just unlimited use of a free paraphrasing tool.
Ahrefs' Paraphrasing Tool uses a language model that learns patterns, grammar, and vocabulary from large amounts of text data - then uses that knowledge to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or input. The generated text combines both the model's learned information and its understanding of the input.
Key features of our AI paraphrasing tool. Incorporated into translator: Translate your text into English or German, and click "Improve translation" to explore alternate versions of your translation. No more copy/paste between tools. Easy-to-see changes: When you insert the text to be rewritten, activate "Show changes" to see suggested edits.
Paraphraser.io helps you rephrase text easily and quickly. Our paraphrasing tool online lets you paraphrase text in one go. You can use this free tool to paraphrase your sentences, paragraphs, articles, and even long blogs with advanced AI technology. It further provides several useful features that help you customize the rephrased text to fit ...
paraphrase: [noun] a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form.
Unleash the professional writer in you with LanguageTool Premium. Go well beyond grammar and spell checking, and impress with clear, precise and stylistically correct writing. Learn more. LanguageTool is a free grammar checker and paraphraser for English, Spanish, and 30 other languages. Instantly check your text for grammar and style mistakes.
Paraphrasing means 'to state something written or spoken in different words, especially in a shorter and simpler form to make the meaning clearer' (Cambridge Online Dictionary, 2022). Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else's thoughts or ideas in your own words. You must always cite your source when paraphrasing' (Pears & Shields ...
PARAPHRASE definition: 1. to repeat something written or spoken using different words, often in a humorous form or in a…. Learn more.
Paraphrase definition: a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.. See examples of PARAPHRASE used in a sentence.
Paraphrasing means putting someone else's ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning. Paraphrasing is an alternative to quoting (copying someone's exact words and putting them in quotation marks ). In academic writing, it's usually better to integrate sources by ...
paraphrase: 1 v express the same message in different words Synonyms: rephrase , reword Types: translate express, as in simple and less technical language Type of: ingeminate , iterate , reiterate , repeat , restate , retell to say, state, or perform again n rewording for the purpose of clarification Synonyms: paraphrasis Types: translation ...
Look up paraphrase in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A paraphrase or rephrase ( / ˈpærəˌfreɪz /) is the rendering of the same text in different words without losing the meaning of the text itself. [1] More often than not, a paraphrased text can convey its meaning better than the original words. In other words, it is a copy of the text in ...
PARAPHRASING definition: 1. present participle of paraphrase 2. to repeat something written or spoken using different words…. Learn more.
PARAPHRASE meaning: 1. to repeat something written or spoken using different words, often in a humorous form or in a…. Learn more.
3 meanings: 1. an expression of a statement or text in other words, esp in order to clarify 2. the practice of making.... Click for more definitions.
Definition of paraphrase verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner ...
Paraphrase definition: . See examples of PARAPHRASE used in a sentence.
paraphrasing meaning: 1. present participle of paraphrase 2. to repeat something written or spoken using different words…. Learn more.