interference

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interference

  • /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈfɪəɹəns/ UK
  • /ˌɪntəɹˈfɪɹɪns/ US

Where it comes from

From interfere + -ence. The sense in physics was likely introduced by English polymath Thomas Young, which he used as early as 1801 in a paper in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

noun interferences

  1. countable, uncountable The act of interfering with something, or something that interferes. Somewhat impeded by constant political interference of one sort or another, British Railways are nevertheless pressing ahead with a mammoth modernisation programme; [...]
  2. countable, uncountable The illegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games. They were glued to the TV, as the referee called out a fifteen yard penalty for interference.
  3. countable, uncountable An effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves.
  4. countable, uncountable A distortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects. They wanted to watch the game on TV, but there was too much interference to even make out the score on the tiny screen.
  5. US, countable, uncountable In United States patent law, an inter partes proceeding to determine the priority issues of multiple patent applications; a priority contest.
  6. countable, uncountable The interruption of the line between an attacked piece and its defender by sacrificially interposing a piece.
  7. countable, uncountable A negative or inappropriate language transfer.

Opposite: noninterference

verb interferences · interferencing · interferenced

  1. nonstandard To interfere. In economic terms, the two production processes can be simultaneously implemented without interferencing between themselves.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: interfering, blocking, hindrance, preventive, encumbrance, incumbrance, preventative, intervention, disturbance, noise, hitch, block, interfere, interruption, intrusive, intrusiveness

noun

Opposite: noninterference

Translations

Every language

noun act of interfering with something, or something that interferes

Españolinjerencia, interferencia, intromisión
日本語干渉 Kansho, 介入 kainyuu
中文阻礙 /阻碍 zǔ'ài, 干涉 gānshè, 干預 gānyù
Portuguêsinterferência
Françaisingérence
DeutschEinmischung
Italianointromissione
Românăinterferență
Русскийвмеша́тельство vmešátelʹstvo, поме́ха poméxa, препя́тствие prepjátstvije
العربيةتَدَاخُل tadāḵul

noun effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves

Españolinterferencia
한국어간섭 ganseop
日本語干渉 kanshō
中文干涉 gānshè
हिन्दीव्यतिकरण vyatikraṇ, अंतरक्षेप antrakṣep
Portuguêsinterferência
Françaisinterférence
DeutschInterferenz, Störung
Русскийинтерфере́нция interferéncija
العربيةتَدَاخُل tadāḵul

noun distortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects

Portuguêsinterferência
DeutschStörung
Русскийпоме́хи poméxi

noun linguistics: negative or inappropriate language transfer

हिन्दीव्याघात vyāghāt, व्यतिकरण vyatikraṇ

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Cite this
MLA

"interference." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/interference. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

interference. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/interference

Chicago

"interference." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/interference.

BibTeX
@misc{interference_2026,
  title = {interference},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/interference},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}