interview
Americannoun
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a formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person.
a job interview.
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a meeting or conversation in which a writer or reporter asks questions of one or more persons from whom material is sought for a newspaper story, television broadcast, etc.
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the report of such a conversation or meeting.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to have an interview; be interviewed (sometimes followed bywith ).
She interviewed with eight companies before accepting a job.
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to give or conduct an interview.
to interview to fill job openings.
noun
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a conversation with or questioning of a person, usually conducted for television, radio, or a newspaper
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a formal discussion, esp one in which an employer assesses an applicant for a job
verb
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to conduct an interview with (someone)
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(intr) to be interviewed, esp for a job
he interviewed well and was given the position
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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reinterviewnoun
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quasi-interviewedadjective
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intervieweenoun
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preinterviewnoun
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self-interviewnoun
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interviewernoun
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interviewableadjective
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uninterviewedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has interviewedperfect 3rd person singular
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have interviewedperfect
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are interviewingprogressive
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has been interviewingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is interviewingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am interviewingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been interviewingperfect progressive
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interviewssingular 3rd person
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interviewingparticiple
Past
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had interviewedperfect
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had been interviewingperfect progressive
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was interviewingprogressive singular
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were interviewingprogressive plural
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interviewedsimple
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interviewedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of interview
First recorded in 1505–15; inter- + view; replacing enterview, from Middle French entrevue, noun use of feminine of entrevu “glimpsed,” past participle of entrevoir “to glimpse,” from entre “between” + voir “to see”
Explanation
Interview can be a verb or a noun, but whatever form it takes, it involves a formal meeting and asking or answering questions. When you go to a job interview, be prepared to answer questions about your strengths and weaknesses. The noun form of interview refers to a question-and-answer session. You’ve probably seen a TV interview with a famous person, or you may have gone to an interview with a college admissions director. The verb form of the word describes the act of asking the questions. You might interview a local politician for your school paper. Often an interview involves some kind of evaluation, so speak carefully if someone is interviewing you, especially if it's going to be published!
Vocabulary lists containing interview
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Common Senses: Vid, Vis ("See")
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Journalism
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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.
When asked if, as a CEO, he would have fired the two Goldman Sachs employees who modeled in the infamous Interview shoot, Blankfein didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
They released their first single, DJ Interview, in 1986, before dropping their smash hit It Takes Two.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
I posed that question to Allison Ellsworth, the co-founder of beverage company Poppi, in the latest episode of The WSJ Money Interview.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
“At one point, when I felt like I could get out of the way of the press, ‘You Can’t Interview Me Here’ was a leading candidate.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
“I’ll do it. I’ll go and meet her. Interview with her.”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
