Interview

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɪn.tə.vjuː/

Definitions

1. A formal meeting where one person asks another questions to gather information, assess qualifications, or discuss a topic for publication or broadcast
2. A conversation in which one participant poses questions to another in order to evaluate their suitability for a role or to gather opinions or insights for various purposes
3. A structured exchange typically involving inquiries made by one individual to assess the qualifications or viewpoints of another for hiring or reporting

Etymology: The word "interview" entered English from Old French "entreveue," the feminine past participle of "entrevëoir," meaning "to see one another" or "to see each other briefly." Its sense is therefore literally a mutual glimpse: "entre-" (between, among, mutually) combined with "veoir" (to see), which itself descends from Latin "videre." The Latin "inter" in its modern spelling is a later reshaping that made the word look like a Latin compound, so the English form reflects a learned spelling layered over a French original. The meaning has moved a long way from that original idea of two people briefly catching sight of one another. Today the term describes a structured exchange of questions meant to assess someone's suitability for a job or to draw out their views for publication. The shift from a casual meeting to a formal interrogation happened gradually as English speakers adopted the word, and the sense of questioning for a purpose is what came to dominate.

Synonyms: meeting, discussion, conversation

Antonyms: silence, disconnection