Paraphrase means to restate someone else’s words or ideas in a new way while keeping the original meaning the same.

Quick Scoop

  • To paraphrase is to express what a writer or speaker said using different words and sometimes a different structure, but without changing the message.
  • A paraphrase is usually roughly similar in length to the original, just rewritten more clearly or in your own style.
  • In school or academic writing, paraphrasing lets you use sources without copying them word‑for‑word, as long as you still give credit to the original author.

Example:
Original: “Paraphrasing means saying something in different words without changing the meaning.”

Paraphrase: “Paraphrasing is when you rewrite another person’s idea using your own wording but keep the same idea intact.”

In short, paraphrasing is “same idea, new wording.”