interpolate
verb
transitive verb
intransitive verb
Did you know?
Interpolate comes from Latin interpolare, a verb with various meanings, among them "to refurbish," "to alter," and "to falsify." (The polare part comes from polire, meaning "to polish.") Interpolate entered English in the 17th century and was applied early on to the alteration (and in many cases corruption) of texts by insertion of additional material. Modern use of interpolate still suggests the insertion of something extraneous or spurious, as in "she interpolated her own commentary into the report."
Synonyms
- edge in
- fit (in or into)
- inject
- insert
- insinuate
- intercalate
- interject
- interpose
- intersperse
- introduce
- sandwich (in or between)
- work in
Example Sentences
Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2022 Fiction offers the unique chance to interpolate old themes in new metaphors, reinvigorating crucial conversations bogged down by cliché. Judy Berman, Time, 11 Mar. 2022 Balfe gushes, referencing the flashbacks to 1960s Edinburgh and Boston that interpolate the show's second season and beyond. Taylore Glynn, Allure, 5 Mar. 2022 The Economist’s team (also stuck with the spurious 4636 datapoint) used a Machine Learning model to try to interpolate the missing data. George Calhoun, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022 One way to get out of the jam -- just interpolate right away! Anthony Cougar Miccio, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2021 But part of Sony's reputation is also due to its fantastic processing algorithms, which can interpolate frames with fewer artifacts than competing brands. Whitson Gordon, Wired, 6 Apr. 2021 The new track interpolates part of Lamar’s anthemic 2015 song, which was co-produced by Pharrell and won two Grammy Awards. Mesfin Fekadu, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2020 Capable of scanning documents at 600 dpi (optical) or 1200 dpi (interpolated), this inexpensive scanner can still capture sharp documents at 8 pages per minute. Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2020 See More Word History
Latin interpolatus, past participle of interpolare to refurbish, alter, interpolate, from inter- + -polare (from polire to polish)
1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
interpolate
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- insert
- introduce
- inject
- interject
- add
- intersperse
- intercalate
- insinuate
- edge in
- interpose
- work in
- append
- cut in
- fit (in or into)
- install
- inset
- weave
- sandwich (in or between)
- interline
- inlay
- wedge
- thrust
- attach
- shove
- interfile
- lard
- cram
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- extract
- eliminate
- exclude
- subtract
- withdraw
- deduct
- expel
- reject
- eject
- detach
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of interpolate are insert, insinuate, intercalate, interject, interpose, and introduce. While all these words mean "to put between or among others," interpolate applies to the inserting of something extraneous or spurious.
The synonyms insert and interpolate are sometimes interchangeable, but insert implies putting into a fixed or open space between or among.
Although the words insinuate and interpolate have much in common, insinuate implies introducing gradually or by gentle pressure.
The words intercalate and interpolate can be used in similar contexts, but intercalate suggests an intrusive inserting of something in an existing series or sequence.
The meanings of interject and interpolate largely overlap; however, interject implies an abrupt or forced introduction.
While in some cases nearly identical to interpolate, interpose suggests inserting an obstruction or cause of delay.
The words introduce and interpolate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, introduce is a general term for bringing or placing a thing or person into a group or body already in existence.