释义 (shì yì) is a formal noun meaning 'definition' or 'interpretation', especially in linguistic, academic, or textual contexts. The first character 释 (shì) means 'to explain' or 'to clarify', while 义 (yì) means 'meaning' or 'significance'. Together, they literally convey 'the act of clarifying meaning' — making it particularly common in dictionaries, scholarly analysis, and language instruction.

This term is used when discussing how words, phrases, or concepts are understood or explained — for example, comparing different 释义 of an ancient proverb, or evaluating whether a dictionary’s 释义 accurately reflects modern usage. It carries a neutral-to-formal register and rarely appears in casual speech; instead, learners might hear simpler alternatives like 意思 (yìsi) or 解释 (jiěshì) in everyday conversation. It often appears in compound terms such as 词义释义 (cíyì shìyì, 'lexical definition') or 字义释义 (zìyì shìyì, 'character meaning interpretation').