English Reference
Verb

meddle

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈmɛdəɫ/ UK /mˈɛdəl/ med·dle UK spelling meddled, meddles

v.to get involved in something that is not your business. You use this when someone is trying to change a situation that does not concern them.

v.to interfere in the affairs of others or in a situation that is not one's concern. Often carries a negative connotation of being intrusive or overstepping one's bounds.


SIMPLE

He does not want anyone to meddle in his private life.

CONTEXTUAL

The neighbors stopped meddling in our garden after we put up a fence.

COMPLEX

The committee warned that outside investors should not meddle in the company's internal operations, as such interference often leads to a loss of focus on long-term goals.


From Middle English medlen, from Anglo-Norman medler, from Early Medieval Latin misculāre, derived from Latin misceō (“to mix”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin misceō
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated