interference

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of interfering with something, or something that interferes.
2. (countable, uncountable) The illegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games.
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.
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) The situation where a person who knows two languages inappropriately transfers lexical items or structures from one to the other.

Verb

To interfere.

Synonyms

intervention

hindrance

obstruction

disturbance

meddling

obstacle

jamming

mediation

impediment

block

interposition

interruption

intrusion

hinderance

meddlesomeness

noise

disruption

hitch

encumbrance

upset

crossfire

officiousness

nosiness

perturbation

preventative

preventive

crosstalk

incumbrance

interfere

blocking

butting in

overlap

particulars

pause

pick

⛏️

reasons

retardation

significance

static

stoppage

supervention

thwarting

wave interference

worrying

delaying tactic

intererence

cross talk

inhibition

annoyance

violence

Translations

interferencia

interferenza

interférence

Interferenz

ingérence

ingerenza

Störung

interferência

interferència

intromissione

Einmischung

interferentie

storing

παρεμβολή

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌɪntəɹˈfiɹɪns/

Etymology

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