a high-level programming language that is translated into machine code line by line as it is executed. BASIC and LISP are interpreted languages. The chief advantage of an interpreted language is rapid alteration of the program, the penalty for which is slow execution.

a programming language that is compiled into machine readable code at the moment it is run by the languages interpreter

A language that is changed from source code to machine language in real-time. Examples of this are BASIC (the PC version, and the Ti-version), JavaScript, HTML (bad example…but you get the point). The advantages are interpreted languages are often much simpler, good for beginners. Bad points are speed, and no native is generated.

A language, such as Visual Basic, which doesn't enable compilation to native code. When an application created with an interpreted language is run, the application's code is passed through an interpreter, which modifies the code into a form the computer can understand and execute.

In computer programming an interpreted language is a programming language whose implementation often takes the form of an interpreter. Any language may be compiled or interpreted, so this designation is applied purely because of common implementation practice and not some underlying property of a language.