in·ter·face
ˈin-tər-ˌfās 
1
a
: the place at which independent and often unrelated systems meet and act on or communicate with each other
the man-machine interface
b
: the means by which interaction or communication is achieved at an interface
2
: a surface forming a common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases
an oil-water interface
interfaced; interfacing; interfaces
1
: to connect by means of an interface
interface a machine with a computer
2
: to serve as an interface for
Examples of interface in a Sentence
Noun
the interface between engineering and science
The software has a user interface that's easy to operate.
We installed an interface between the computer and the typesetting machine.
Verb
interface a machine with a computer
the point at which the two machines interface
Recent Examples on the Web
Dave Brooks, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023
During the trial, a surgical robot will place a brain-computer interface (BCI) impact in the part of the brain that controls movement intention.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 17 Nov. 2023
To enable the devices to communicate, Metcalfe and Boggs created the first high-speed network interface card (NIC)—a circuit board that is connected to a computer’s motherboard.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Nov. 2023
One big hurdle for Bluesky to reach a bigger audience is that people can’t view links to posts without being signed in, so the upcoming public web interface should finally help alleviate that problem.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 16 Nov. 2023
As a result, automakers may end up setting the standard for optimizing machine-human interfaces.
—Jon Kirchner, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Another paper from 2023 took a different approach: injecting bad prompts right into the chat interface.
—Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
Humane’s device, called the Ai Pin, can take photos and send texts, uses a laser to project a visual interface onto a person’s palm, and comes with a virtual assistant that can be as sharp as ChatGPT.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
Compared with the official U.S. Census Bureau interface, the Latino Data Hub provides a one-stop site that is easy to use and beneficial to anyone who struggles with data visualization and analysis.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2023
IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2023
This means that the cooks preparing the food are also those interfacing with guests about what’s on their plate, with their firsthand knowledge of each ingredient bringing the dishes to vivid life.
—David Graver, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2023
This sense of invisible laboring workers interfacing with infrastructure calls to mind Moraga’s ambiguous play on words that sets up the white porcelain toilet bowl as a site where struggles over color start festering across generations.
—Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
But the great part about it now is the ‘Chat’ part has changed the way everyone interfaces with the technology.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023
The idea runs contrary to traditional RAN development, in which a vendor like Ericsson, Huawei, or Nokia would build an end-to-end network that would not interface with another vendor’s components.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Sep. 2023
The third category is infotainment systems that provide music and video and can interface with your personal devices through Bluetooth wireless communications.
—Doug Jacobson, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2023
As part of his research, Axel Anderson tracked a correlation between the ways in which young people interface with content on social media and the evolution of popular music, pointing to how psychology impacts trends of consumption, which thereafter shifts production strategies across industries.
—WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023
Press plus shape on both sides to fuse the interfacing pieces in place.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
See More
Noun
Lyte’s platform also includes a Subscribe and Request buying interface, enabling fans to request tickets months in advance to avoid painful on-sales.
—Dave Brooks, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023
During the trial, a surgical robot will place a brain-computer interface (BCI) impact in the part of the brain that controls movement intention.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 17 Nov. 2023
To enable the devices to communicate, Metcalfe and Boggs created the first high-speed network interface card (NIC)—a circuit board that is connected to a computer’s motherboard.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Nov. 2023
One big hurdle for Bluesky to reach a bigger audience is that people can’t view links to posts without being signed in, so the upcoming public web interface should finally help alleviate that problem.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 16 Nov. 2023
As a result, automakers may end up setting the standard for optimizing machine-human interfaces.
—Jon Kirchner, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Another paper from 2023 took a different approach: injecting bad prompts right into the chat interface.
—Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
Humane’s device, called the Ai Pin, can take photos and send texts, uses a laser to project a visual interface onto a person’s palm, and comes with a virtual assistant that can be as sharp as ChatGPT.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
Compared with the official U.S. Census Bureau interface, the Latino Data Hub provides a one-stop site that is easy to use and beneficial to anyone who struggles with data visualization and analysis.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2023
Verb
As well as holding promise for developing fully organic neural implants, Santoro thinks the technology could also be used to interface conventional electronics with biological systems.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2023
This means that the cooks preparing the food are also those interfacing with guests about what’s on their plate, with their firsthand knowledge of each ingredient bringing the dishes to vivid life.
—David Graver, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2023
This sense of invisible laboring workers interfacing with infrastructure calls to mind Moraga’s ambiguous play on words that sets up the white porcelain toilet bowl as a site where struggles over color start festering across generations.
—Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
But the great part about it now is the ‘Chat’ part has changed the way everyone interfaces with the technology.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023
The idea runs contrary to traditional RAN development, in which a vendor like Ericsson, Huawei, or Nokia would build an end-to-end network that would not interface with another vendor’s components.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Sep. 2023
The third category is infotainment systems that provide music and video and can interface with your personal devices through Bluetooth wireless communications.
—Doug Jacobson, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2023
As part of his research, Axel Anderson tracked a correlation between the ways in which young people interface with content on social media and the evolution of popular music, pointing to how psychology impacts trends of consumption, which thereafter shifts production strategies across industries.
—WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023
Press plus shape on both sides to fuse the interfacing pieces in place.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interface.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1882, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
1962, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing interface
Dictionary Entries Near interface
Cite this Entry
“Interface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interface. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
interface
1 of 2 noun
in·ter·face
ˈint-ər-ˌfās
1
: a surface forming a common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases
an interface between oil and water
2
a
: the place at which independent systems meet and act on or communicate with each other
b
: the ways by which interaction or communication is brought about at an interface
interface
2 of 2 verb1
: to connect or become connected through an interface
2
: to serve as an interface for
Medical Definition
interface
noun
in·ter·face
ˈint-ər-ˌfās
: a surface forming a common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases
interfaces between various tissues such as skin, fatty tissue, and muscle—H. P. Schwan
H. P. Schwan
interface
transitive verb
interfaced; interfacing
More from Merriam-Webster on interface
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for interface
Nglish: Translation of interface for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of interface for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about interface
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