free translation

(redirected from a loose translation)

free translation

A restatement of something that lacks accuracy or nuance. Well, that's a rather free translation of what I said—I was not the slightest bit accusatory. Yes, but in Heather's free translation of the text, she missed some very salient points.
See also: free, translation
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

free translation

 and loose translation
a translation or restatement that is not completely accurate and not well thought out; a translation or restatement done casually. John gave a free translation of what our Japanese client asked for, and we missed the main issue. Anne gave a very free translation of the ancient Chinese poem.
See also: free, translation
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
For ignorant Americans, a loose translation: in the thick of it.
"Thomas Schutte: In Medias Res"
A loose translation, however permissible it may seem, does give different specific meanings.
"Earth" at mass
Any deviation from her preferred translation is a loose translation. If her purpose were to fashion a translation for twentieth-century readers, Neustadt's translation and her additions would fit the bill.
Last word
This poem of some 10,000 lines is a loose translation of a work by Chretien de Troyes about one of the knights of the Round Table.
Erec
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