interloper

noun

in·​ter·​lop·​er ˌin-tər-ˈlō-pər 

ˈin-tər-ˌlō-

: one that interlopes: such as

a

: one that intrudes in a place or sphere of activity

b

: an illegal or unlicensed trader

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The History of Interloper

If you keep chickens, a coyote loping around in the vicinity of your coop is not welcome. You'd be justified, both semantically and etymologically, in calling such a coyote an interloper. The -loper part of interloper shares an ancestor with the Old English verb hlēapan, meaning "to leap," and the Dutch verb lopen, meaning "to run." (The verb lope does too.) The prefix inter- means "between" or "among," so an interloper is essentially one that leaps in among others (for example, a flock of hens) without an invitation to do so. Interloper made itself at home among English speakers in the late 1500s; the verb interlope, which arrived close in tow in the early 1600s, is likely a back-formation.

Synonyms of interloper

• intruder

Examples of interloper in a Sentence

I had hoped to help my neighbors, but they regarded me as an interloper.

summer residents were regarded as interlopers who had no deep commitment to the town's welfare

Recent Examples on the Web

If he was viewed as an art-world interloper, Roth has enough influence and goodwill that no one was really going to say that out loud. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026

But a trio of witches — Evanora (Rachel Weisz), Glinda (Michelle Williams), and Theodora (Mila Kunis) — convince the interloper that Oz may actually be worth fighting for. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026

That interloper was Shadow, who became Jackie's steadfast mate right up until her hospitalization last month. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

The interlopers were contrabandistas, Native Pacific Northwesterners brought by American merchants operating out of Hawaii and heading to the Mexican coast to hunt otters without a license. — Literary Hub, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1590, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for interloper

• loper
• roper
• sloper

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Kids Definition

interloper

noun

in·​ter·​lop·​er ˌint-ər-ˈlō-pər 

ˈint-ər-ˌlō-pər

: a person who intrudes or interferes wrongly or meddlesomely