What does "interface" mean?
The point of interconnection or contact between entities.
Interface
/ˈɪn(t)ɚˌfeɪs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The point of interconnection or contact between entities.
- Grammar: interface is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: port, abutment, adaptor, ankle.
- Useful contrasts: bulk, detach, disconnect.
- Usage evidence: Please select a language for the Image Viewer interface.
How to use "interface"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "interface" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "interface" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "interface" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "interface" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "interface" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "port" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "interface", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The point of interconnection or contact between entities.
"Public relations firms often serve as the interface between a company and the press."
- 2 (chemistry) a surface forming a common boundary between two things (two objects or liquids or chemical phases) wordnet
- 3 A thin layer or boundary between different substances or two phases of a single substance.
"If water and oil are mixed together, they tend to separate, and at equilibrium they are in different strata with an oil-water interface in between."
- 4 (computer science) computer circuit consisting of the hardware and associated circuitry that links one device with another (especially a computer and a hard disk drive or other peripherals) wordnet
- 5 The point of interconnection between systems or subsystems.
"The data is sent over the air interface to the remote system."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 the overlap where two theories or phenomena affect each other or have links with each other wordnet
- 7 The connection between a user and a machine.
"The options are selected via the user interface."
- 8 (computer science) a program that controls a display for the user (usually on a computer monitor) and that allows the user to interact with the system wordnet
- 9 The connection between parts of software; also the public or published sections of an object or module.
"This interface is implemented by several Java classes."
- 10 In object-oriented programming, a piece of code defining a set of operations that other code must implement.
"The Audio and Video classes both implement the IPlayable interface."
- 11 In some languages, a block of code declaring the interface (point of interconnection) between a class and code that interacts with it.
- 12 The internal surface of a coiled protein (compare exoface).
Verb
- 1 To construct an interface for. transitive
- 2 To connect through an interface. ambitransitive
- 3 To serve as an interface. intransitive
- 4 To meet for discussion. intransitive
"Let's interface on Wednesday."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Please select a language for the Image Viewer interface."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "interface"?
Common synonyms include: port, abutment, adaptor, ankle, articulation, bearing contact.
How do you use "interface" in a sentence?
Please select a language for the Image Viewer interface.
How do you pronounce "interface"?
Pronounced /ˈɪn(t)ɚˌfeɪs/.
Etymology
From inter- (“between”) + face (“shape, figure, form”).