interface
Americannoun
-
interfaces
plural
-
a surface regarded as the common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases.
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the facts, problems, considerations, theories, practices, etc., shared by two or more disciplines, procedures, or fields of study.
the interface between chemistry and physics.
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a common boundary or interconnection between systems, equipment, concepts, or human beings.
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communication or interaction.
Interface between the parent company and its subsidiaries has never been better.
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a thing or circumstance that enables separate and sometimes incompatible elements to coordinate effectively.
The organization serves as an interface between the state government and the public.
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computer hardware or software designed to communicate information between hardware devices, between software programs, between devices and programs, or between a device and a user.
verb (used with object)
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interfaces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interfaced,
past participle, past
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interfacing
present participle
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to bring into an interface.
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to bring together; connect or mesh.
The management is interfacing several departments with an information service from overseas.
verb (used without object)
-
interfaces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interfaced,
past participle, past
-
interfacing
present participle
-
to be in an interface.
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to function as an interface.
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to meet or communicate directly; interact, coordinate, synchronize, or harmonize (often followed bywith ).
The two communications systems are able to interface with each other.
noun
-
chem a surface that forms the boundary between two bodies, liquids, or chemical phases
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a common point or boundary between two things, subjects, etc
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an electrical circuit linking one device, esp a computer, with another
verb
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(tr) to design or adapt the input and output configurations of (two electronic devices) so that they may work together compatibly
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to be or become an interface (with)
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to be or become interactive (with)
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The point of interaction or communication between a computer and any other entity, such as a printer or human operator.
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The layout of an application's graphic or textual controls in conjunction with the way the application responds to user activity.
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See more at GUI
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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interfacesimple
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interfacessimple
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have interfacedperfect
-
has interfacedperfect
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am interfacingprogressive
-
are interfacingprogressive
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is interfacingprogressive
-
have been interfacingperfect progressive
-
has been interfacingperfect progressive
Past
-
interfacedsimple
-
had interfacedperfect
-
was interfacingprogressive
-
were interfacingprogressive
-
had been interfacingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of interface
Explanation
Think of an interface as a "face-to-face," a place where things, or people, or people and things (like you and your computer) meet. Any common boundary or area of convergence can be an interface. Used as a verb, interface means to merge or mingle, bonding and synthesizing by communicating and working together. The word interface is comprised of the prefix inter, which means "between," and face. In the 1960's, when computers first began to be commonly used, the word became familiar and now can simply mean “to meet.” Although "Shall we interface over coffee?" still feels a bit awkward.
Vocabulary lists containing interface
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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They Both Die at the End
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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:
The Model Y’s human-machine interface doesn’t include a typical gear selector.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Despite being only a fraction of a nanometer thick, the engineered interface performs two important jobs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
With vibe coding lowering the barriers to entry, customers are paying for the unique data instead of the software user interface, Esfahani said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Some, like Myreader, let users upload any book, whether or not it's under copyright, and then connect it to an AI interface.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Almost all bank tellers were fired, and so was everyone else who did paperwork and customer interface in any other business.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
By 2015, as smartphones became ubiquitous, competitors like Resy, Tock, Reserve and SevenRooms pitched slicker apps for customers and iPad interfaces for restaurants, along with better business terms and access to diner data for establishments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
On a recent Friday night, he was swiping through a tablet, showing four different interfaces of reservation apps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The framework of amorphous interfaces consists of flexible internal boundaries that do not initially have the same orderly crystal structure as the surrounding material.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
They also revealed dislocations moving from the layer interfaces into the surrounding CoAl layers, helping explain how the material could deform without quickly fracturing.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
The only hints of modernization were a few simple computer interfaces in unobtrusive corners.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Even the Cylons changed their tune as they interfaced with the survivors more frequently, shifting their aim from destruction to occupation.
From Salon ● May 5, 2026
So to suddenly have Guillermo show up, and that was the way that we really first interfaced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
Typically, a rigid material like silicon is chiseled down to the nanoscale, then interfaced with other components like metal electrodes and insulating layers to form an active device.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 9, 2023
The code is interfaced with online notices from ERCOT, triggering servers to power down during times of extreme energy shortages.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 8, 2021
“I can do more than just see. The NeuroLink has always interfaced with the human brain,” Hideo continues.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
He said the date ended with a shared realization: “We’re not interfacing well.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
In our experience, seamless connecting and no cables cluttering the center console are reasons enough to insist on wireless smartphone interfacing.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 26, 2025
The department’s interfacing with federal authorities will be among the many issues that the Police Commission is counting on Barragan to help monitor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025
But OECTs operate by coupling the flow of ions with the flow of electrons, which makes them interesting routes for interfacing with chemistry and biology.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2024
I mean, it’s sweet that he thinks I can keep up with his thoughts on the approaching technological singularity and human-machine interfacing, but yeah.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
