interfere
Americanverb (used without object)
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interferes,
present (3rd person singular)
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interfered,
past participle, past
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interfering
present participle
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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
Derived Forms
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interferernoun
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interferingadjective
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noninterferingadjective
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interferinglyadverb
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noninterferinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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interferesimple
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interferessimple
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have interferedperfect
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has interferedperfect
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am interferingprogressive
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are interferingprogressive
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is interferingprogressive
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have been interferingperfect progressive
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has been interferingperfect progressive
Past
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interferedsimple
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had interferedperfect
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was interferingprogressive
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were interferingprogressive
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had been interferingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of interfere
First recorded in 1520–30; inter- + -fere (from Latin ferīre “to strike”); modeled on Middle French s'entreferir
Explanation
To interfere is to try to stop something from happening. If you get into a fight on the street, people passing by might try to interfere so no one gets hurt. Many countries resent it when other countries interfere (get involved) in their internal affairs, just as people often dislike it when others interfere in their personal affairs. In this sense interfere is the opposite of minding one's business. On airplanes you're not allowed to use cellphones because, it's said, they interfere with the plane’s navigational systems.
Vocabulary lists containing interfere
Power Prefix: inter-
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"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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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.
See Examples For:
Strong shear can interfere with a cyclone's organization by pushing the upper portions of its circulation away from the center closer to the ocean surface.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
In recent weeks, the Houthis have seized territory, including an island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, strengthening their ability to interfere with Saudi Red Sea oil shipments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Industry lobbyists have argued that AM radio is no longer a widely used feature and say that it can interfere with the widening suite of technology installed in new vehicles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
While that can reduce inflammation, it can also interfere with the body's ability to defend itself.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
She was someone who minded her own business and had long since discovered it was seldom worth while to interfere with other people's children.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz interferes with petroleum movement and fertilizer shipments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
And both have their reasons for rejecting science that interferes with their own interests.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
If investors conclude for themselves that having a high concentration of individual stocks interferes with their goals, they might forgo this approach.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
If the weather interferes with your chances of seeing the Strawberry Moon tonight, do not worry as there are more opportunities to see full Moons this summer.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
“I’d be the kind of ghost that interferes with everything.”
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
As chatbots become active agents in the world, they will seek not to be interfered with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
On Tuesday, China's foreign ministry said its cooperation with Iran has "always been conducted within the framework of international law and should not be interfered with or disrupted".
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
But the new plan, issued in 2021, favored the ranchers, extending them 20-year leases, and allowed for the killing of elk if they interfered with cattle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
This includes the area of the player's intended swing - which DeChambeau was found to have interfered with.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
We could not hear what Captain Mackay read of him; the damp wind interfered with the oration.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
A small interfering RNA drug, or siRNA, “turns off” specific genes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
But, she added, some things could be better managed to keep outside factors from interfering with matches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
“Exorcist II” suffered from so much bad luck during production that cast members joked that the devil was interfering with production.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The Commissioner's office said the scope of the review had been carefully designed to avoid interfering with other judicial or conduct processes.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Johnny said he wasn’t interfering in his mother’s love life and he would bloody well work his way through community college, then.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
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.
