# interference

/ˌɪnɝˈfɪɹəns/ (US) · /ˌɪntəfˈiəɹəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/interference
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. meddling

noun · CEFR B2

the act of getting involved in someone else's business when you are not invited.

For teachers: the act of intervening in a situation without invitation or right, often causing a nuisance or obstruction.

- I wish my parents would stop their constant interference in my private life.
- The government was accused of political interference in the judicial process, sparking a debate about the separation of powers.

### 2. signal noise

noun · CEFR B2

extra noise or a bad connection that stops a radio, TV, or phone from working clearly.

For teachers: the disruption of a transmitted signal by atmospheric noise, unwanted signals, or electrical disturbances.

- There is too much interference on the radio because of the storm.
- The technician explained that the proximity of the high-voltage cables was causing significant electromagnetic interference with the server equipment.

### 3. physics of waves

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

what happens when two waves (like light or sound) meet and change each other.

For teachers: the phenomenon in which two or more waves superimpose to form a resultant wave of greater, lower, or the same amplitude.

- The colorful patterns on the soap bubble are caused by light interference.
- The experiment demonstrated constructive interference, where the peaks of two light waves aligned to create a much brighter band on the screen.

### 4. illegal blocking

noun · CEFR B2

an unfair move in sports where a player blocks an opponent illegally.

For teachers: the illegal obstruction of an opponent's progress or ability to play the ball.

- The referee called a penalty for interference after the player blocked the runner.
- The defender was penalized for pass interference after making contact with the receiver before the ball had arrived.

### 5. language transfer

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

when the rules of your first language make you make mistakes in a new language.

For teachers: the effect of a learner's first language on the production of a second language, often leading to errors in syntax or pronunciation.

- His mistake with the verb was a clear case of interference from his native French.
- Linguistic interference often occurs when a student applies the grammatical structures of their mother tongue to a target language with different syntactic rules.

### 6. patent law

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Technical · Formal

a legal process to decide who had an idea first when two people apply for the same patent.

For teachers: an administrative proceeding to determine which of multiple applicants is entitled to a patent for the same invention.

- The two tech companies entered an interference proceeding to see who owned the software code.
- The patent office initiated an interference to resolve the priority dispute between the two rival research teams claiming the same chemical discovery.

## Examples

- I wish they would stop their constant interference in my life.
- The radio broadcast was difficult to hear because of heavy electrical interference from the nearby power lines.
- The government's interference in the central bank's decision-making process raised concerns among international investors regarding the country's long-term economic stability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.