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:
Nobel peace laureate and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado remains in exile, though she has said she will not interfere and hopes to see concrete results.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
"At the same time, the warning could be interpreted as stopping short of completely foreclosing inter-Korean dialogue: essentially telling Seoul not to interfere unless it has something substantial to offer."
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
As military communications and radar became more sophisticated during the Cold War, so did the technology to interfere with them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Overall, the results did not support concerns that NNS beverages interfere with appetite regulation or cause long-term metabolic harm.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
And I was nodding, not making any sounds like “Unh-hunh” or “Yes, ma’am” that might interfere with the memory of that soft voice asking me so kindly for something.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
That tort takes place when a person intentionally interferes with another person’s lawful possession of movable personal property.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
For years, people have debated whether drinking coffee in the evening interferes with sleep.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 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
In 1801 a British scientist discovered that light interferes with itself, apparently putting the matter to rest once and for all.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
A fan clad in a midnight-blue Yankees jacket had reached over the wall and interfered with the play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
That excess cholesterol interfered with the astrocytes' lysosomal waste-disposal system.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 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
He got the chest shots in, but the troll interfered before Butler could complete the formation.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Attorney Marina Z. Beck in her declaration accused Martinez of refusing to provide information to Berry about their son and his education, of interfering with their son’s therapy and of refusing to follow therapist recommendations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Another federal law prohibits voter intimidation, with up to a yearlong prison sentence for anybody who intimidates, threatens, or coerces somebody else with the purpose of interfering with another person’s right to vote.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
Parton’s manager Danny Nozell asked a judge to bar Seaver from interfering or disrupting business relationships for She’s Alive, an entity designated by Parton’s trust to oversee her business portfolio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
However, it soon became apparent that the officials had made an error in failing to identify an offside offence by Enzo Fernandez, diving at the ball in a central position and interfering with opponents.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Thank you so much for interfering on my behalf.”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
