interfere
Americanverb (used without object)
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to come into opposition, as one thing with another, especially with the effect of hampering action or procedure (often followed bywith ).
Constant distractions interfere with work.
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to take part in the affairs of others; meddle (often followed by with orin ).
to interfere in another's life.
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(of things) to strike against each other, or one against another, so as to hamper or hinder action; come into physical collision.
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to interpose or intervene for a particular purpose.
- Synonyms:
- intercede
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to strike one foot or leg against another in moving, as a horse.
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Sports.
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to obstruct the action of an opposing player in a way barred by the rules.
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Football. to run interference for a teammate carrying the ball.
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Physics. to cause interference.
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to clash; come in collision; be in opposition.
The claims of two nations may interfere.
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Law. to claim earlier invention when several patent requests for the same invention are being filed.
verb phrase
verb
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(often foll by in) to interpose, esp meddlesomely or unwarrantedly; intervene
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(often foll by with) to come between or in opposition; hinder; obstruct
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euphemistic (foll by with) to assault sexually
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to strike one against the other, as a horse's legs
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physics to cause or produce interference
Other Word Forms
- interferer noun
- interfering adjective
- interferingly adverb
- noninterfering adjective
- noninterferingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of interfere
First recorded in 1520–30; inter- + -fere (from Latin ferīre “to strike”); modeled on Middle French s'entreferir
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She had never allowed people to interfere with her projects.
From Literature
Things would go much more smoothly, Bat thought, if the other kids would stop asking questions and interfering, and just let him get on with the job.
From Literature
In additional experiments, the researchers examined whether immunity from previous flu infections or vaccinations would interfere with the H5N1 vaccine's performance.
From Science Daily
A Home Depot spokesperson told the BBC that the home improvement retailer "cannot legally interfere with federal enforcement agencies, including preventing them from coming into our stores and parking lots".
From BBC
Pink noise is commonly used to help people fall asleep, but new research suggests it may interfere with the most restorative stages of sleep.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
