interaction
Americannoun
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reciprocal action, effect, or influence.
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Physics.
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the direct effect that one kind of particle has on another, in particular, in inducing the emission or absorption of one particle by another.
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the mathematical expression that specifies the nature and strength of this effect.
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noun
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a mutual or reciprocal action or influence
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physics the transfer of energy between elementary particles, between a particle and a field, or between fields See strong interaction electromagnetic interaction fundamental interaction gravitational interaction weak interaction electroweak interaction
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of interaction
Explanation
If you interact with someone — by talking, looking, sharing, or engaging in any kind of action that involves the two of you — you can be said to have had an interaction with that person. Interaction comes from Latin inter meaning "between," and ago meaning "to do" or "to act" — any “action between” is considered an interaction, like the interaction between a teacher and a student, two countries, or even baking soda and vinegar (boom!).
Vocabulary lists containing interaction
Power Prefix: inter-
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Common Core Grade 6, List 1
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 2
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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.
But about half also attribute it to a desire for more social interaction.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
"Disease-causing variants lead to disrupted production of the CD99L2 protein in the cell and prevent its interaction with CAPN1," explains Dr. Jonasz Weber.
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
“When human interaction decreases and you feel less connected, that also reduces satisfaction and engagement,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
The chatbot, capable of conversing in natural language, captivated global audiences and has since developed advanced coding, voice interaction and image generation capabilities.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
The laws of its interaction are the three laws of nature.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
