meddling

[ med-ling ]

adjective

interfering or getting involved in a matter without any right or invitation: Comedic complications arise when a meddling friend attempts to rekindle the spark in the couple’s tired marriage.

noun

the act or habit of interfering or getting involved in something without any right or invitation: The company will work independently, and there won't be any meddling by the government.

Origin of meddling

First recorded in 1375–1425; meddle + -ing² for the adjective; meddle + -ing¹ for the noun

Thanks to that meddling Franklin and the other editors, Jefferson thought his Declaration had been “mangled.”
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations | Kevin Bleyer | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
The obnoxious meddling journalist is a stock character in fiction.
I Blame People Who Blame the Media: Robert McCulloch’s Tone-Deaf Speech | Arthur Chu | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He laid the blame firmly on meddling by foreign powers sowing civil disobedience.
Hong Kong Between Calm and Chaos | Ben Leung | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In return, Egypt has accused Erdogan of making “provocative” statements and meddling in its internal affairs.
Turkey Takes in ‘Terrorists’ from the Muslim Brotherhood | Thomas Seibert | September 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
For months, Russia had been meddling in the affairs of its neighbor Ukraine without having to pay a serious cost.
It’s Finally Time for the West to Stand Up to Putin | James Kirchick | July 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

The accused malignants, on the other hand, complained bitterly of the impertinence of meddling fanatics and hypocrites.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington Macaulay
There was never an ill thing made better by meddling, that I could hear of.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI | Robert Louis Stevenson
He was an ardent reformer of abuses, but with the constitution itself he would have no meddling.
The Political History of England - Vol. X. | William Hunt
The report was merely the outcome of the officious meddling of his physician, Addington, and one of Bute's friends.
The Political History of England - Vol. X. | William Hunt
Dedmon, here, was out of a job—thanks to you and your meddling—and the steering stunt offered good pay.
The Wreckers | Francis Lynde

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