Physics. the process in which two or more light, sound, or electromagnetic waves of the same frequency combine to reinforce or cancel each other, the amplitude of the resulting wave being equal to the sum of the amplitudes of the combining waves.
Radio.
a jumbling of radio signals, caused by the reception of undesired ones.
the signals or device producing the incoherence.
Football.
the act of a teammate or of teammates running ahead of a ball-carrier and blocking prospective tacklers out of the way: to run interference for the halfback.
such a teammate or such teammates collectively: to follow one's interference.
the act of illegally hindering an opponent from catching a forward pass or a kick.
Aeronautics. the situation that arises when the aerodynamic influence of one surface of an aircraft conflicts with the influence of another surface.
Linguistics.
(in bilingualism and foreign-language learning) the overlapping of two languages.
deviation from the norm of either language in such a situation.
the distorting or inhibiting effect of previously learned behavior on subsequent learning.
Psychology. the forgetting of information or an event due to inability to reconcile it with conflicting information obtained subsequently.
Idioms for interference
run interference, Informal. to deal with troublesome or time-consuming matters, as for a colleague or supervisor, especially to forestall problems.
This kind of deep engagement is what it will take to affirm our collective commitment to participatory democracy, despite the renewed threat of interference at the polls.
America is a Third World country now|Ellen McGirt|September 30, 2020|Fortune
We need a global democratic alliance to set norms, rules, and guidelines for technology companies and to agree on protocols for cross-border digital activities including election interference, cyberwar, and online trade.
How democracies can claim back power in the digital world|Amy Nordrum|September 29, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The problem with GPS is that those signals are extremely weak by the time they reach Earth, and are easily overwhelmed by either accidental interference or electronic warfare.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites could make US Army navigation hard to jam|Niall Firth|September 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
After the revelation, one senator resigned and the government passed a law targeting foreign interference.
China is inching toward another trade war|eamonbarrett|September 27, 2020|Fortune
“It protects against political interference — it’s important,” Sharfstein said.
How to Tell a Political Stunt From a Real Vaccine|by Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson|September 26, 2020|ProPublica
Finally free of Japanese interference, Korea elected its first autonomous government in almost half a century.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The families of the missing aid workers worry that Italian interference will put their daughters at risk, too.
Families of Italian Aid Workers Held by ISIS Fear for Their Lives After Foley's Death|Barbie Latza Nadeau|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In recent months the interference of the Supreme Leader has not been limited to the nuclear case.
Four days prior, 1,800 lawyers marched through the city in protest at Chinese interference.
Massive Hong Kong Protest Calls for More Democracy|Brendon Hong|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Forget reports that the Russian president has wound down his campaign of interference in east Ukraine.
Putin Is Just Getting Started in Ukraine|Michael Weiss|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With all this, the general resistiveness, as has been stated, remained towards feeding or any other interference.
Benign Stupors|August Hoch
I wish I could have sent you a more favorable report of my interference in this painful matter.
The Black Robe|Wilkie Collins
And he heard a growling voice utter harshly: "You will regret this interference, Trent!"
The Monster|S. M. Tenneshaw
Like all Asiatics he considered that my interference on his behalf had constituted a claim on me.
Life in an Indian Outpost|Gordon Casserly
We only know that our last attempt at interference in this matter well-nigh caused a civil war.
A Vindication of England's Policy with Regard to the Opium Trade|Charles Reginald Haines
British Dictionary definitions for interference
interference
/ (ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns) /
noun
the act or an instance of interfering
physicsthe process in which two or more coherent waves combine to form a resultant wave in which the displacement at any point is the vector sum of the displacements of the individual waves. If the individual waves converge the resultant is a system of fringes. Two waves of equal or nearly equal intensity moving in opposite directions combine to form a standing wave
Also called: radio interferenceany undesired signal that tends to interfere with the reception of radio waves
aeronauticsthe effect on the flow pattern around a body of objects in the vicinity
The disturbance that results when two waves come together at a single point in space; the disturbance is the sum of the contribution of each wave. For example, if two crests of identical waves arrive together, the net disturbance will be twice as large as each incoming wave; if the crest of one wave arrives with the trough of another, there will be no disturbance at all.
notes for interference
One common example of interference is the appearance of dark bands when a light is viewed through a window screen.
The variation of wave amplitude that occurs when waves of the same or nearly the same frequency come together.
The condition in which infection of a cell by one virus prevents superinfection by another virus.
The condition in which superinfection by a second virus prevents effects that would result from infection by either virus alone, even though both viruses persist.
The superposition of two or more waves propagating through a given region. Depending on how the peaks and troughs of the interacting waves coincide with each other, the resulting wave amplitude can be higher or smaller than the amplitudes of the individual waves.♦ When two waves interact so that they rise and fall together more than half the time, the amplitude of the resulting wave is greater than that of the larger wave. This is called constructive interference. ♦ When two waves interact such that they rise and fall together less than half the time, the resulting amplitude is smaller than the amplitude of the stronger wave. This interference is called destructive interference. It is possible for two waves of the same magnitude to completely cancel out in destructive interference where their sum is always zero, that is, where their peaks and troughs are perfectly opposed. See more at wave.
In electronics, the distortion or interruption of one broadcast signal by others.