exegete
1 synonym for exegete, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person skilled at interpreting texts, laws or other difficult and obscure sources.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
hermeneut
How to use exegete
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
biblical exegete
a skilled exegete
exegete of the text
It's a fairly academic or specialist word, mostly found in religious or scholarly writing.
Etymology
Exegete comes from the Ancient Greek word exēgētēs, meaning someone who expounds or interprets. The word carried that same sense of explaining a difficult text into English.
Full origin of exegete →Frequently asked questions
What does exegete mean?
It means someone who interprets texts, especially difficult or obscure ones such as scripture or law.
Is exegete only used for religious texts?
It's most common in religious contexts, but the grounding also shows it applied to law, oracles and other obscure sources.
Can exegete be used as a verb?
Yes, it can mean to interpret or perform an exegesis on a text, mainly in religious writing.
