interview

1 of 2

noun

in·​ter·​view ˈin-tər-ˌvyü How to pronounce interview (audio)
1
: a formal consultation usually to evaluate qualifications (as of a prospective student or employee)
2
a
: a meeting at which information is obtained (as by a reporter, television commentator, or pollster) from a person
b
: a report or reproduction of information so obtained
3

interview

2 of 2

verb

interviewed; interviewing; interviews
1
transitive : to question or talk with (someone) to get information : to conduct an interview with (someone)
The police are interviewing several witnesses.
was interviewed on television
Several strong candidates have been interviewed for the position.
More than 60 staff members were interviewed for the project …Nature Conservancy
Gone are the days when a language researcher had to interview subjects in a lab …Katy Steinmetz
2
intransitive : to participate in an interview for a position (such as a job)
One warm morning I arrived to interview for a job as an editorial assistant on a trade journal …Joseph Epstein

Examples of interview in a Sentence

Noun The company is holding interviews for several new jobs. a journalist conducting interviews with political leaders The interview will be shown on tonight's news. This library has a large collection of his interviews. He is a very entertaining interview. She's always been known as one of Hollywood's best interviews. Verb a reporter at the scene interviewing witnesses to the explosion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Chen Moonves had a field day with that exit interview, and it’s still considered one of the worst moves of all time. Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 5 July 2025 Trust & Will, based in San Diego’s Bankers Hill, has helped more than 1 million families make estate plans, Barbo said in an interview from his Dallas home office. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025
Verb
Shelia and Rachel were again interviewed by police, this time sharing a slightly different story and changed demeanors, according to 20/20. Alex Gurley, People.com, 6 July 2025 According to reports, the Knicks interviewed Staley after reaching out to her school’s athletic director, Jeremiah Donati, for permission. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for interview

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French entreveue meeting, from (s')entreveer to see one another, meet, from entre- inter- + veer to see — more at view

First Known Use

Noun

1514, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of interview was in 1514

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Cite this Entry

“Interview.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interview. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

interview

noun
in·​ter·​view ˈint-ər-ˌvyü How to pronounce interview (audio)
1
: a meeting usually face to face especially for the purpose of talking or consulting
an interview to evaluate a prospective student's qualifications
2
: a meeting at which information is obtained (as by a reporter) from a person
also : the account of such a meeting
interview verb
interviewer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on interview

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