INTERFERENCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does interference mean? 

• INTERFERENCE (noun)
  The noun INTERFERENCE has 5 senses:

1. a policy of intervening in the affairs of other countries

2. the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding

3. electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication

4. (American football) blocking a player's path with your body

5. any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome

  Familiarity information: INTERFERENCE used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INTERFERENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A policy of intervening in the affairs of other countries

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

interference; intervention

Hypernyms ("interference" is a kind of...):

foreign policy (a policy governing international relations)

Antonym:

noninterference (a foreign policy of staying out of other countries' disputes)

Derivation:

interfere (get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of hindering or obstructing or impeding

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

hinderance; hindrance; interference

Hypernyms ("interference" is a kind of...):

act; deed; human action; human activity (something that people do or cause to happen)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interference"):

foiling; frustration; thwarting (an act of hindering someone's plans or efforts)

antagonism ((biochemistry) interference in or inhibition of the physiological action of a chemical substance by another having a similar structure)

obstruction (the act of obstructing)

complication (the act or process of complicating)

deterrence (the act or process of discouraging actions or preventing occurrences by instilling fear or doubt or anxiety)

bar; prevention (the act of preventing)

Derivation:

interfere (come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

disturbance; interference; noise

Hypernyms ("interference" is a kind of...):

trouble (an event causing distress or pain)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interference"):

clutter (unwanted echoes that interfere with the observation of signals on a radar screen)

background; background signal (extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured)

crosstalk; XT (the presence of an unwanted signal via an accidental coupling)

fadeout (a gradual temporary loss of a transmitted signal due to electrical disturbances)

jitter (small rapid variations in a waveform resulting from fluctuations in the voltage supply or mechanical vibrations or other sources)

atmospheric static; atmospherics; static (a crackling or hissing noise caused by electrical interference)

white noise (a noise produced by a stimulus containing all of the audible frequencies of vibration)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(American football) blocking a player's path with your body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

he ran interference for the quarterback

Hypernyms ("interference" is a kind of...):

block; blocking (the act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements)

Domain category:

American football; American football game (a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

encumbrance; hinderance; hindrance; hitch; incumbrance; interference; preventative; preventive

Hypernyms ("interference" is a kind of...):

impediment; impedimenta; obstructer; obstruction; obstructor (any structure that makes progress difficult)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interference"):

clog (any object that acts as a hindrance or obstruction)

speed bump (a hindrance to speeding created by a crosswise ridge in the surface of a roadway)

 Context examples 

The degradation of endogenous mRNA in a sequence-specific manner can be induced by dsRNA [RNA interference (RNAi)], antisense transcription, or viral infection.

(Dicer Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

This includes susceptibility to interference via cables or air.

(Device Radiofrequency Interference Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

A device that experienced problems due to radiofrequency interference.

(Device Radiofrequency Interference Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

A note was accordingly addressed to that lady, who returned for answer, that "I might do as I pleased: she had long relinquished all interference in my affairs."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Metastasis Suppression involves interference or restraint of the spread or migration of cancer cells from one part of the body (the organ in which it first appeared) to another.

(Metastasis Suppression, NCI Thesaurus)

It must not be, if by any fair interference of friendship, any representations from one who had almost a mother's love, and mother's rights, it would be prevented.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

But till it is absolutely settled—settled beyond all interference, he shall know nothing of the matter.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

G2 Phase Arrest consists of interference with, or restraint of, activities that regulate the cellular capacity to transit the cell cycle phase preceding mitosis (Gap 2 phase).

(Negative Regulation of G2 Phase, NCI Thesaurus)

Cell Differentiation Inhibition involves interference or restraint of progressive and normally irreversible processes whereby restriction of the developmental potential of immature precursor cells results in increasing specialization of cell function and morphology.

(Negative Regulation of Cell Differentiation, NCI Thesaurus)

Amino Acid Synthesis Inhibition involves interference with, or restraint of, enzymatic formation of organic compounds that contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group.

(Amino Acid Synthesis Inhibition, NCI Thesaurus)