interference
/ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪntərˈfɪrəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌin-tər-ˈfir-ən(t)s ˌin-tə-/ (ame, mw)
interference — noun
- interferencesingular
- interferencesplural
1. the act of taking part in a situation that does not concern you, especially when
the act of taking part in a situation that does not concern you, especially when your involvement causes problems or makes other people annoyed
Ayesha told her mother-in-law that she did not appreciate the interference in her parenting decisions.
collocation: interference in [something]
The company's repeated interference in local politics angered many residents.
Political interference from foreign governments can weaken a country's democratic process.
Karim refused to accept any interference from his colleagues while he managed the project.
The coach warned that outside interference would hurt the team's performance.
- meddling
more informal, suggests annoying involvement in trivial matters
- intrusion
stronger negative tone, implies violation of privacy or personal space
- obstruction
focuses on blocking or hindering progress rather than mere involvement
- non-interference
a policy or principle of staying out of others' affairs
文法句型
interference in + noun/gerund
interference from + noun
常見錯誤
2. unwanted noise, static, or electrical signals that make it hard to hear or see a
unwanted noise, static, or electrical signals that make it hard to hear or see a broadcast clearly, or disrupt the operation of a communication device
The radio signal was full of interference, so we could barely hear the news.
passive: was full of interference
Thunderstorms can cause interference that disrupts satellite television reception.
collocation: cause interference
Ife adjusted the antenna to reduce the interference from a nearby transmitter.
The interference on the line made it impossible for Mauricio to complete the phone call.
Military radar systems are built to operate even under heavy electronic interference.
文法句型
interference from + noun
cause/create interference
3. the effect that happens when two or more waves (such as light, sound, or water w
the effect that happens when two or more waves (such as light, sound, or water waves) meet and combine, producing areas where the wave is stronger or weaker
Two light sources made an interference pattern of bright and dark bands on the screen.
collocation: interference pattern
When sound waves overlap, constructive interference can make the noise louder in certain areas.
constructive interference
Yan learned about wave interference by observing ripples in a water tank.
The building's design used wave interference to help lower traffic noise for the residents.
文法句型
constructive/destructive interference
interference pattern
用法筆記
Usually a technical term in physics and engineering. It is uncountable when referring to the general phenomenon — 'interference occurs when...' — but can be used with adjectives like 'constructive' and 'destructive' to describe types.
4. a mistake made by a language learner who uses a rule, word, or structure from a
a mistake made by a language learner who uses a rule, word, or structure from a language they already know, which does not fit the new language they are learning
Chinese learners of English sometimes produce word-order errors due to interference from their first language.
collocation: interference from [language]
Élise saw that interference from French gave her English words the wrong stress pattern.
Teachers help students recognize when interference from their native language is causing grammar mistakes.
Quan's Spanish sentence structure in his English essay was a clear case of language interference.
- negative transfer
the formal linguistics term for the same phenomenon
- positive transfer
when a rule or pattern from one language correctly applies to another
文法句型
interference from + language
language interference
用法筆記
Common in linguistics and language-teaching contexts. The term is often paired with a language name in a prepositional phrase ('interference from Spanish'). The verb 'interfere' is used differently for this sense — 'the first language interferes with the second.'
5. in tennis, a ruling that occurs when something beyond a player's control, or an
in tennis, a ruling that occurs when something beyond a player's control, or an illegal action by their opponent, prevents them from hitting the ball
The umpire called interference when the ball boy moved across the court during the point.
call + interference (sports ruling)
Players hit by a ball from another court can claim interference and replay the point.
Jude shouted a warning to his opponent to avoid any accidental interference during the serve.
The referee ruled that the net post had not caused interference on that shot.
- hindrance
the formal term used in the official tennis rulebook; 'interference' is the more general term
文法句型
call interference
claim interference
6. in baseball, a violation called when a player improperly alters the normal flow
in baseball, a violation called when a player improperly alters the normal flow of the game, such as by physically blocking or impeding an opponent
The runner was called out for interference when he collided with the second baseman.
passive: be called out for interference
Catcher's interference happens when the catcher's mitt touches the batter's bat during a swing.
Valentina argued with the umpire about the interference call at third base.
The coach explained that standing on the baseline without the ball counts as interference.
文法句型
be called for interference
counts as interference
用法筆記
Distinguish from the tennis sense (sense 5): baseball interference involves a player changing the flow of play illegally, whereas tennis interference is about preventing a shot.
7. an ice hockey penalty called when a player illegally blocks, checks, or delays a
an ice hockey penalty called when a player illegally blocks, checks, or delays an opponent who is not carrying the puck
The player received a two-minute penalty for interference after blocking the forward without the puck.
penalty for interference
Ice hockey interference rules protect players without the puck from being checked illegally.
Anna's interference penalty gave the opposing team a power-play advantage.
The referee raised his arm to signal interference as the defenseman tripped the winger.
文法句型
penalty for interference
signal interference
用法筆記
Distinguish from baseball interference (sense 6): in ice hockey, the key condition is that the opponent does not have the puck. If the opponent has the puck, body checking may be legal.