paraphrase (n.)

1540s, from Middle French paraphrase (1520s), from Latin paraphrasis "a paraphrase," from Greek paraphrasis "a free rendering," from paraphrazein "to tell in other words," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + phrazein "to tell" (see phrase (n.)).

c. 1600, from paraphrase (n.) or from French paraphraser. Related: Paraphrased; paraphrasing.