interpolate

USAGE SUMMARY

"interpolate" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it when you want to explain that you are filling in a missing value in the middle of a range of given values. For example, "I interpolated the missing value of temperature between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

A second idea, to frame the opera in a spaceship and interpolate cantos from Harry Martinson's 1956 science-fiction verse-novel, Aniara, was not.

Independent

It's the film's unbridled passion for science that leaves me pumped as I leave the screening though, a similar reaction to the one I had after Ex Machina, which embraced the complex technology and philosophy at work in its A.I. premise, and films like these hopefully signals a new era of sci-fi that respects its audience and  doesn't feel the need to always interpolate a romance.

Independent

The musicians weren't helped by Gergiev's tendency to choose lugubrious tempos: at several points in "The Firebird," he seemed to be trying to interpolate a Mahlerian adagio, to stultifying effect.

The New Yorker

(In recent United States concerts, he was known to interpolate verses from Gershwin's aria "Summertime" into flamenco numbers).

The New York Times

It was a miscalculation, however, to interpolate into "Iolanta" several minutes of chant-like music from Tchaikovsky's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which slowed momentum in the denouement to a crawl.

The New York Times - Arts

Catton can lapse into preciousness, and she has a drama-killing tendency to interpolate herself when the wonderful moments she's constructed should be left alone.

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

Animation software then interpolates between these positions to determine the position of each limb in each frame.

The Economist

Sub-Lacanian theory would presuppose that the signified "Baudrillard" is merely a neo-modernist capitalist paradox and "death" is a sub-textual patriarchalist paradigm interpolated through a post-colonialist hermeneutic.As such, as Sontag states, "society is dead"; the signifier is merely replicated as a series of pre-cultural totalities implying post-Foucaultian absurdity.

The Economist

High-end video equipment makers like Faroudja pioneered "up-sampling", which interpolates the picture elements in a DVD's 480-line image to give the impression of 720 or even 1,080 lines.

The Economist

In preparation for his essays, Lauder interpolated lines from a Latin translation of Paradise Lost into the Latin verse of several 17th-century poets, notably Hugo Grotius, Jacobus Masenius, and Andrew Ramsay.

Encyclopedia Britannica

By correlating the geometric sequence of numbers a, a2, a3,…(a is called the base) and the arithmetic sequence 1, 2, 3,…and interpolating to fractional values, it is possible to reduce the problem of multiplication and division to one of addition and subtraction.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When working with data, use "interpolate" to specifically describe the process of estimating values between known data points. This adds precision to your explanation.

Common error

Avoid using "interpolate" when you are actually estimating values beyond the known data range. The correct term for that is "extrapolate". Interpolation is within the data; extrapolation is beyond it.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "interpolate" is a verb. It describes the action of inserting something between other things, whether it's data points, text, or musical phrases. Ludwig AI confirms that it is a correct and usable word. The examples provided by Ludwig show how it functions in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Social Media

6%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "interpolate" is a versatile verb with a strong presence in diverse fields like data analysis, music, and creative writing. According to Ludwig AI, it is a correct and usable word. Its primary function involves estimating values within a known range or inserting elements into an existing context. While it's often used in neutral and formal settings, as showcased by numerous examples from authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Guardian, it is essential to distinguish it from "extrapolate" to maintain precision. When estimating a value, be sure to use "interpolate" if the estimated value falls within a range of data, and use "extrapolate" if it is outside the known range. If you’re talking about inserting text or elements into an existing work, “insert”, “introduce”, or “interject” can work as well.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

estimate intermediate values

Focuses on the estimation aspect within a range of data.

calculate intermediate points

Describes the calculation of points between two known values.

fill in the gaps

Emphasizes the act of completing missing information.

approximate a value

Focuses on finding an approximate value between data points.

extrapolate

While similar, this term focuses on estimating beyond the known data, not within it.

estimate from data

General approach to guess the value from the data around.

insert between

Highlights the act of placing something within existing elements.

supplement

To fill in what is lacking.

introduce

General term to place something new in a context.

insert

To put (something) in something else.

FAQs

How do you use "interpolate" in a sentence?

You can use "interpolate" to describe the process of estimating a value between two known values. For example, "We need to "interpolate" the missing data point to complete the graph."

What's the difference between "interpolate" and "extrapolate"?

"Interpolate" means to estimate a value within a range of known values, while "extrapolate" means to estimate a value beyond the range of known values. Interpolation is filling in the middle; extrapolation is guessing what comes next.

What can I say instead of "interpolate" when referring to inserting text?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "insert", "introduce", or "interject" to describe adding text or content. Choose the word that best reflects the intent of adding something new into the existing text.

Is it correct to use "interpolate" in creative writing?

Yes, it is correct to use "interpolate" in creative writing. As the examples show, it often describes inserting verses or melodies into existing works to add depth or meaning.