interfere

American  

[in-ter-feer] / ˌɪn tərˈfɪər /

verb (used without object)

• interferes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• interfered,
  past participle,  past
• interfering
  present participle

1. 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.

2. to take part in the affairs of others; meddle (often followed by with orin ).

   to interfere in another's life.

   Synonyms:

   interlope, encroach, intrude, pry

3. (of things) to strike against each other, or one against another, so as to hamper or hinder action; come into physical collision.

4. to interpose or intervene for a particular purpose.

   Synonyms:

   intercede

5. to strike one foot or leg against another in moving, as a horse.

6. Sports.

   1. to obstruct the action of an opposing player in a way barred by the rules.

   2. Football. to run interference for a teammate carrying the ball.

7. Physics. to cause interference.

8. to clash; come in collision; be in opposition.

   The claims of two nations may interfere.

9. Law. to claim earlier invention when several patent requests for the same invention are being filed.

---

verb phrase

1. interfere with to molest sexually.

interfere British  

/ ˌɪntəˈfɪə /

verb

1. (often foll by in) to interpose, esp meddlesomely or unwarrantedly; intervene

2. (often foll by with) to come between or in opposition; hinder; obstruct

3. euphemistic (foll by with) to assault sexually

4. to strike one against the other, as a horse's legs

5. physics to cause or produce interference

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interferer
  noun
• interfering
  adjective
• noninterfering
  adjective
• interferingly
  adverb
• noninterferingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• interfering
  present
• interfered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• interfere
  simple
• interferes
  simple
• have interfered
  perfect
• has interfered
  perfect
• am interfering
  progressive
• are interfering
  progressive
• is interfering
  progressive
• have been interfering
  perfect progressive
• has been interfering
  perfect progressive

Past

• interfered
  simple
• had interfered
  perfect
• was interfering
  progressive
• were interfering
  progressive
• had been interfering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will interfere
  simple
• will have interfered
  perfect
• will be interfering
  progressive
• will have been interfering
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interfere interferes interfered interfering

Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court the project is already 65% complete and argued that stopping construction would interfere with security improvements at the White House.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

“These are attempts to interfere, to meddle in Mexican politics,” Sheinbaum said at her regular morning news conference.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Earlier, the interior ministry said security agencies had arrested several suspects accused of plotting to interfere with the electoral system.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

It advises not to touch, interfere with or get close to stranded marine animals and to report them immediately.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

No private property to interfere with its course to the sea.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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

They said that caffeine could affect the results, and gel interferes with the electrodes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

If the key damage occurs when a-beta interferes with tau inside neurons, those external plaques may not directly disrupt tau or the microtubules it supports.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

If, however, something destroys this enzyme or interferes with its action, the person exposed to malathion receives the full force of the poison.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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

Those green ecosystems are far different from California’s; our neighbor’s fires generally arise in massive boreal forests, which do not have debris or brush concerns because they’ve never been logged or otherwise interfered with.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

When those abnormal forms appeared after memories had already formed, they interfered with the brain's ability to retrieve them.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

It can only be used for positional offside and not for subjective calls, those which require interpretation around whether a player has interfered with an opponent without touching the ball.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

“I will not be interfered with by Jane,” said Mrs. Pocket, with a majestic glance at that innocent little offender.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

The constitution limits the president from unilaterally interfering with local laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Because cancer cells depend so heavily on these processes, interfering with them could make it more difficult for tumors to survive and continue evolving.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

He does not want federal judges interfering in the redistricting process, not even to prioritise black Americans like himself.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

This past weekend’s “CBS Sunday Morning” featured a segment from national security correspondent David Martin about the Department of Defense interfering with the editorial independence of Stars & Stripes, the military newspaper.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

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 "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

Related Words

• hamper
• hinder
• impede
• inhibit
• intervene
• intrude
• meddle
• prevent