interlocutor

noun

in·​ter·​loc·​u·​tor ˌin-tər-ˈlä-kyə-tər 

1

: one who takes part in dialogue or conversation

2

: a man in the middle of the line in a minstrel show who questions the end men and acts as leader

Did you know?

It may not necessarily be grandiloquence to use the word interlocutor in casual speech, but if your interlocutors—that is, the people with whom you are speaking—are using it, your conversation is likely a formal one. Interlocutor is one of many English words that comes from the Latin verb loqui, “to speak,” including loquacious (“talkative”), eloquent (“capable of fluent or vivid speech”), and grandiloquence (“extravagant or pompous speech”). In interlocutor, loqui was joined to inter- forming a Latin word meaning “to speak between” or “to issue an interlocutory decree.” An interlocutory decree is a judicial decision that isn’t final, or that deals with a point other than the principal subject matter of the dispute.

Examples of interlocutor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The talk was impassioned and wide-ranging, with Wood, a longtime del Toro interlocutor, quizzing the filmmaker on everything from his childhood in Guadalajara, Mexico, to his passion for design and scrapbooking. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 May 2026

His American interlocutors can’t quite decide where to place him in their schema of Iran’s internal politics. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026

For that reason, according to Iranian state media reports, Vance was seen by Tehran as their preferred interlocutor in negotiations. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Krasner, his wife, widow, and interlocutor, and one of the most formidable painters of the New York School, still has to fight for every inch of price recognition. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin interloqui to speak between, issue an interlocutory decree, from inter- + loqui to speak

First Known Use

circa 1518, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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