paraphrase
verb /ˈpærəfreɪz/
/ˈpærəfreɪz/
[transitive, intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they paraphrase | /ˈpærəfreɪz/ /ˈpærəfreɪz/ |
| he / she / it paraphrases | /ˈpærəfreɪzɪz/ /ˈpærəfreɪzɪz/ |
| past simple paraphrased | /ˈpærəfreɪzd/ /ˈpærəfreɪzd/ |
| past participle paraphrased | /ˈpærəfreɪzd/ /ˈpærəfreɪzd/ |
| -ing form paraphrasing | /ˈpærəfreɪzɪŋ/ /ˈpærəfreɪzɪŋ/ |
- paraphrase (something) to express what somebody has said or written using different words, especially in order to make it easier to understand
- Try to paraphrase the question before you answer it.
Word Originmid 16th cent. (as a noun): via Latin from Greek paraphrasis, from paraphrazein, from para- (expressing modification) + phrazein ‘tell’.