Meanings
plural interferences
- countableuncountableThe 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; [...]
1961 March, B.A. Haresnape, “Design on the railway”, in Trains Illustrated, page 1391 more example
"With magic in limited use and hidden, it was possible to enhance the various magic resistances of humans, and to keep certain forms of magic from being possible. If magic enters common usage, this interference becomes infeasible."
2018 February 21, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, Feb 21, 2018 - countableuncountablehobbiesThe 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.
- countableuncountablenatural sciencesAn effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves.
- countableuncountableA 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.
- countableuncountableboard gamesThe interruption of the line between an attacked piece and its defender by sacrificially interposing a piece.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesA negative or inappropriate language transfer.
present singular third person interferences · participle present interferencing · participle past interferenced · past interferenced
- nonstandardTo interfere.
In economic terms, the two production processes can be simultaneously implemented without interferencing between themselves.
2000, PierCarlo Nicola, Mainstream Mathematical Economics in the 20th Century, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 172
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna policy of intervening in the affairs of other countries
nounthe act of hindering or obstructing or impeding
nounelectrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication
nounany obstruction that impedes or is burdensome
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans interferensie
- interferensieeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Arabic تَدَاخُل, تَدَاخُل
- تَدَاخُل (tadāḵul)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- تَدَاخُل (tadāḵul)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Bulgarian наме́са, вмешателство
- наме́са (namésa)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- вмешателство (vmešatelstvo)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- засло́н (zaslón)illegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games
- интерфере́нция (interferéncija)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- смуще́ния (smušténija)distortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Catalan interferència, interferència
- interferènciaillegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games
- interferènciadistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
- paràsitdistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Chinese Mandarin 阻礙 /阻碍, 干涉
- 阻礙 /阻碍 (zǔ'ài)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- 干涉 (gānshè)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- 干預 (gānyù)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- 干涉 (gānshè)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Czech nedovolené bránění
- nedovolené bráněníillegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games
Danish interferens, interferens
- interferensact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferenseffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Dutch bemoeien, interferentie
- bemoeienact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferentieeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- storingeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Esperanto interfero, interferoj
- interferoact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferojact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferoeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- interferojeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Finnish häirintä, häiritseminen
- häirintäact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- häiritseminenact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- väliintuloact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- puuttuminenact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- häiriöact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- häiriötekijäact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- häirintäillegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games
- estäminenillegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games
- interferenssieffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- häiriödistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
French ingérence, interférence
- ingérenceact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interférenceeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
German Einmischung, Interferenz
- Einmischungact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- Interferenzeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- Störungeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- Störungdistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Hindi व्यतिकरण, अंतरक्षेप
- व्यतिकरण (vyatikraṇ)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- अंतरक्षेप (antrakṣep)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- व्याघात (vyāghāt)linguistics: negative or inappropriate language transfer
- व्यतिकरण (vyatikraṇ)linguistics: negative or inappropriate language transfer
Hungarian interferencia, interferencia
- interferenciaeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- interferenciadistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Indonesian campur tangan, kecurangan lawan
- campur tanganact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- kecurangan lawanillegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games
- gangguaneffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- interferensieffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- gangguandistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Irish éaradh
- éaradhact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
Italian intromissione
- intromissioneact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
Japanese 干渉, 介入
- 干渉 (Kansho)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- 介入 (kainyuu)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- 干渉 (kanshō)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Korean 간섭
- 간섭 (ganseop)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Malay gangguan, inteferens
- gangguanact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- inteferenseffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Māori whawhenga, whakararurarutanga
- whawhengaact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- whakararurarutangaeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Norwegian Bokmål interferens
- interferenseffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Persian تداخل, تداخل
- تداخل (tadâxol)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- تداخل (tadâxol)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Polish ingerencja, wtrącanie się
- ingerencjaact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- wtrącanie sięact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferencjaact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- przesłonachess: type of defensive move
- interferencjaeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Portuguese interferência, interferência
- interferênciaact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferênciaeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- interferênciadistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Romanian interferență
- interferențăact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
Russian вмеша́тельство, поме́ха
- вмеша́тельство (vmešátelʹstvo)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- поме́ха (poméxa)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- препя́тствие (prepjátstvije)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- интерфере́нция (interferéncija)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- поме́хи (poméxi)distortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Spanish injerencia, interferencia
- injerenciaact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferenciaact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- intromisiónact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- interferenciaeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
Swedish interferens, störning
- interferensact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- störningdistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Tagalog kahilabtan, kahilabtan
- kahilabtaneffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- kahilabtandistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
Turkish engelleme, müdahale
- engellemeact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- müdahaleact of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- enterferanseffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- girişimeffect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- karışmadistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
- parazitdistortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects
- müdahalelegal, patent law: inter partes proceeding to determine the priority issues of multiple patent applications
Ukrainian втруча́ння, інтерфере́нція
- втруча́ння (vtručánnja)act of interfering with something, or something that interferes
- інтерфере́нція (interferéncija)effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves
- інтерфере́нція (interferéncija)linguistics: negative or inappropriate language transfer
Cite this entry
interference. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interference
“interference.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interference. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “interference,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interference.
Source: interference on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.