Standard Lemma guide

eisegesis

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /aɪsɪˈdʒiːsɪs/
  • US: /aɪsɪˈd͡ʒisɪs/

1

noun

Meaning 1

An interpretation, especially of Scripture, that reflects the personal ideas or viewpoint of the interpreter; reading something into a text that is not there.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

personal interpretation of a text (especially of the Bible) using your own ideas

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interpretation

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek εἰς (eis, “into”) and English exegesis. Historically unrelated to the Ancient Greek εἰσήγησις (eisḗgēsis, “proposing, advising”).