What does "interview" mean?
An official face-to-face meeting of monarchs or other important figures.
Interview
/ˈɪn.(t)ɚ.vju/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An official face-to-face meeting of monarchs or other important figures.
- Grammar: interview is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: apply, appointment, appraisal, appraise.
- Useful contrasts: personal history questionnaire, dismiss, ignore.
- Usage evidence: She cried bitterly at a press interview.
How to use "interview"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "interview" 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 "interview" 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 "interview" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "interview" 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 "interview" 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 "apply" 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 "interview", 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 An official face-to-face meeting of monarchs or other important figures. obsolete
"To be present at an interview, as that famous of Henry the Eighth and Francis the First, so much renowned all over Europe[…], no age ever saw the like."
- 2 a conference (usually with someone important) wordnet
- 3 Any face-to-face meeting, especially of an official or adversarial nature.
"(Aaron Burr narrating): It was at about this time that I learned exactly what it was that Hamilton had said of me, and knew that this world was far too narrow a place to contain the two of us. Hamilton's friend made one further attempt to get him off the hook but only further impaled the slanderer by remarking that should Colonel Burr wish to enquire of any other conversation of Hamilton concerning Burr, a prompt and frank avowal or denial would be given. This was too much. I told Van Ness to set a time and place for an interview [referring to a duel with pistols]."
- 4 the questioning of a person (or a conversation in which information is elicited); often conducted by journalists wordnet
- 5 A conversation in person (or, by extension, over the telephone, Internet etc.) between a journalist and someone whose opinion or statements he or she wishes to record for publication, broadcast etc.
"The reporter gave the witness an interview."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A formal meeting, in person, for the assessment of a candidate or applicant.
"It was a dreadful interview; I have no hope of getting the job."
- 7 An audition.
- 8 A police interrogation of a suspect or party in an investigation.
Verb
- 1 To ask questions of (somebody); to have an interview. transitive
"He interviewed the witness."
- 2 conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting wordnet
- 3 To be interviewed; to attend an interview. intransitive
"When she interviewed with Microsoft in August, she overlooked a small cut in salary and asked about long-term career opportunities — and quality of life."
- 4 discuss formally with (somebody) for the purpose of an evaluation wordnet
- 5 go for an interview in the hope of being hired wordnet
Example
"She cried bitterly at a press interview."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "interview"?
Common synonyms include: apply, appointment, appraisal, appraise, arrangement, assessment.
How do you use "interview" in a sentence?
She cried bitterly at a press interview.
How do you pronounce "interview"?
Pronounced /ˈɪn.(t)ɚ.vju/.
Etymology
From Old French entreveue (French entrevue), feminine singular past participle of entrevëoir, from entre- + vëoir (“to see”). Equivalent to inter- + view.