destructive interference

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the interference of two waves of equal frequency and opposite phase, resulting in their cancellation where the negative displacement of one always coincides with the positive displacement of the other.

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How does destructive-interference compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• constructive interference vs. destructive interference

Example Sentences

He added that "such a deep suppression was a clear sign of destructive interference, and it had to be caused by something near the emitters."

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

Just leave two doors open, and then you will have destructive interference, and the thieves cannot go into the living room,’” jokes physicist Jean Dalibard, who co-authored the 1984 paper.

From Scientific American • Oct. 4, 2023

If, however, the waves of light are out of phase and overlap while misaligned, a peak may meet a trough in the wave, and both are canceled out, a process known as destructive interference.

From Scientific American • Jun. 13, 2023

The interference can be described as constructive interference, which increases amplitude, and destructive interference, which decreases amplitude.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

The early English, in their snug little corner of the world, belted by salt sea, were able to develop their civil government with less destructive interference.

From Civil Government in the United States Considered with Some Reference to Its Origins by Fiske, John