interview

American  

[in-ter-vyoo] / ˈɪn tərˌvyu /

noun

1. a formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person.

   a job interview.

2. a meeting or conversation in which a writer or reporter asks questions of one or more persons from whom material is sought for a newspaper story, television broadcast, etc.

3. the report of such a conversation or meeting.

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verb (used with object)

1. to have an interview with in order to question, consult, or evaluate.

   to interview a job applicant;

   to interview the president.

verb (used without object)

1. to have an interview; be interviewed (sometimes followed bywith ).

   She interviewed with eight companies before accepting a job.

2. to give or conduct an interview.

   to interview to fill job openings.

interview British  

/ ˈɪntəˌvjuː /

noun

1. a conversation with or questioning of a person, usually conducted for television, radio, or a newspaper

2. a formal discussion, esp one in which an employer assesses an applicant for a job

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verb

1. to conduct an interview with (someone)

2. (intr) to be interviewed, esp for a job

   he interviewed well and was given the position

Other Word Forms

• interviewable adjective
• interviewee noun
• interviewer noun
• preinterview noun
• quasi-interviewed adjective
• reinterview noun
• self-interview noun
• uninterviewed adjective

Etymology

Origin of interview

First recorded in 1505–15; inter- + view; replacing enterview, from Middle French entrevue, noun use of feminine of entrevu “glimpsed,” past participle of entrevoir “to glimpse,” from entre “between” + voir “to see”

Explanation

Interview can be a verb or a noun, but whatever form it takes, it involves a formal meeting and asking or answering questions. When you go to a job interview, be prepared to answer questions about your strengths and weaknesses. The noun form of interview refers to a question-and-answer session. You’ve probably seen a TV interview with a famous person, or you may have gone to an interview with a college admissions director. The verb form of the word describes the act of asking the questions. You might interview a local politician for your school paper. Often an interview involves some kind of evaluation, so speak carefully if someone is interviewing you, especially if it's going to be published!

Example Sentences

Asylum seekers are subject to an initial screening interview with the Home Office and then an exhaustive "substantive interview" lasting several hours, during which their claims are probed.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

An initial interview with the Home Office did not go well and protracted appeals ended up pushing up his costs to more than £10,000.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

“It saves Rivian money on what it takes to run the plant. It reduces the demand on the grid, which is great,” Rivian Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

“I think that many people knew about this for a while,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said in an interview with The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Erlan did the interview, because Karim and Erik refused to pretend to be him, even after he said he’d give them ten dollars.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• account
• conference
• consultation
• conversation
• dialogue
• examination
• hearing
• meeting
• press conference
• record
• statement
• talk