interlocutor

American  

[in-ter-lok-yuh-ter] / ˌɪn tərˈlɒk jə tər /

noun

interlocutors plural

1. a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.

2. the man in the middle of the line of performers in a minstrel troupe, who acts as the announcer and banters with the end men.

3. a person who questions; interrogator.

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interlocutor British  

/ ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə /

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conversation

2. Also called: middleman.  the man in the centre of a troupe of minstrels who engages the others in talk or acts as announcer

3. Scots law a decree by a judge

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interlocutress
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• interlocutors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of interlocutor

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin interlocū-, variant stem of interloquī “to speak between” ( inter- inter- + loquī “to speak”) + -tor

Explanation

An interlocutor is someone who participates in a discussion or conversation, sometimes as a go-between. If you and your friend are in an argument and aren't speaking, a third friend could act as an interlocutor, delivering messages back and forth. Interlocutor traces back to the Latin word interloqui, meaning “to speak between.” We use interlocutor either for "a conversation partner," or for "a third party in a conversation," like a middleman who speaks on behalf of an organization. It's also an old term for the guy in a minstrel show who questions all the other performers as a way of moving the act forward. "What's that you say? A funky dance? Go on and show us then."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interlocutor interlocutors

In a combative setting, Vance can dismantle an argument, redirect a question and put his interlocutor on the defensive.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

Langbein’s Monica — having finally transcended her past and ascended to spiritual omniscience — becomes Jean’s interlocutor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

What kind of prime minister will he be at home, or as an interlocutor for Hungary's allies abroad?

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

When Justice Sotomayor does these public events, she generally seems to plant questions with her interlocutor that will allow her to make a statement.

From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026

I perceived, of course, the drift of my interlocutor.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Rubio, born of Cuban parents in Florida, was asked at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing about the possibility of finding interlocutors within Cuba's communist regime.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

They can also demand passwords from suspects’ interlocutors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

What Homan lacks in eloquence—he frequently slurs his words and can be hard to understand—he makes up for with a savant’s command of names and numbers and a willingness to shout down interlocutors.

From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2025

"It's the local designers, the local translators, the trusted human interlocutors and elements within that system that elevate digital tools into something useful," he says.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2025

That’s how we pick up accents— sometimes to the extent that our interlocutors think they’re being mocked—and how we lose them.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith