interview
Americannoun
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a formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person.
a job interview.
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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.
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the report of such a conversation or meeting.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to have an interview; be interviewed (sometimes followed bywith ).
She interviewed with eight companies before accepting a job.
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to give or conduct an interview.
to interview to fill job openings.
noun
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a conversation with or questioning of a person, usually conducted for television, radio, or a newspaper
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a formal discussion, esp one in which an employer assesses an applicant for a job
verb
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to conduct an interview with (someone)
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(intr) to be interviewed, esp for a job
he interviewed well and was given the position
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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intervieweenoun
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interviewernoun
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preinterviewnoun
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reinterviewnoun
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self-interviewnoun
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interviewableadjective
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quasi-interviewedadjective
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uninterviewedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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interviewsimple
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interviewssimple
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have interviewedperfect
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has interviewedperfect
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am interviewingprogressive
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are interviewingprogressive
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is interviewingprogressive
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have been interviewingperfect progressive
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has been interviewingperfect progressive
Past
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interviewedsimple
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had interviewedperfect
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was interviewingprogressive
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were interviewingprogressive
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had been interviewingperfect progressive
Future
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!
Vocabulary lists containing interview
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Common Senses: Vid, Vis ("See")
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Journalism
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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.
Apple’s price increases on its products were intended to offset the surging costs of memory and storage chips, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
In her police interview, the alleged victim said: "I tried to leave the vehicle and he told me to close the door."
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Xanadu Quantum Technologies CEO Christian Weedbrook described China’s quantum effort as “a huge black box” in a Barron’s interview earlier this year.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
“That was the first professional performance I ever saw of ballet or anything,” Monson de Kansky said during a recent interview at her home, where she has lived for 60 years.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
Harry Glicken couldn’t stay at Coldwater II. He had been there for weeks, watching, documenting, and making notes, but he had a job interview in California.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
