Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "interpolate" [in•ter•po•late]

  • To insert or introduce between other elements or parts. (verb-transitive)
  • To insert (material) into a text. (verb-transitive)
  • To insert into a conversation. See Synonyms at introduce. (verb-transitive)
  • To change or falsify (a text) by introducing new or incorrect material. (verb-transitive)
  • Mathematics To estimate a value of (a function or series) between two known values. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "interpolate" in a sentence
  • "For minor intervals I'd just interpolate from the nearest major/perfect."
  • "And right here I'd like to interpolate a word or two about Canadian poetry, our native poetry as you will find it, for example, in that precious but often impoverished quarterly known as the Canadian Poetry Magazine."
  • "But right now, none of the observing sites are operating above about 6,600 feet or so, so we have to kind of interpolate a little bit, and we're guessing at this time maybe into the low teens at best for the temperature at this hour."