interplay

American  

[in-ter-pley, in-ter-pley, in-ter-pley] / ˈɪn tərˌpleɪ, ˌɪn tərˈpleɪ, ˈɪn tərˌpleɪ /

noun

1. reciprocal relationship, action, or influence.

   the interplay of plot and character.

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verb (used without object)

1. to exert influence on each other.

interplay British  

/ ˈɪntəˌpleɪ /

noun

1. reciprocal and mutual action and reaction, as in circumstances, events, or personal relations

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Etymology

Origin of interplay

First recorded in 1860–65; inter- + play

Example Sentences

The interplay between “a surging economy and a soft labor market,” argues Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at the business consulting firm RSM, “is likely to be the major economic narrative next year.”

From Los Angeles Times

At its best, “The Innocents of Florence” is an example of a complicated humanism: An empathetic study of the perpetual interplay between good intentions, human frailties and imperfect outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Thought and feeling bubble up beneath visible restraint—she’ll let a nervous glance scamper this way or that, or wear a smile that’s still crimped at the edges amid the teasing interplay of her peers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pixels and filters can’t capture the interplay of light, shadow, color and grain like 35mm film, even for an amateur like me.

From The Wall Street Journal

He continued, "The findings demonstrate that the interplay among inorganic and organic compounds played crucial roles in Earth's environmental changes, deepening our understanding of the evolution of Earth's oxygen and hence the life on it."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• give-and-take