interference
UK: ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns | US: ˌɪntərˈfɪrəns
n. the act of interfering or the process of being interfered with
n. (physics) the interaction of waves that results in reinforcement or cancellation
n. (sports) illegal obstruction of an opponent
The word "interference" originates from Latin interferre, combining inter- (between) and ferre (to carry). The core idea is "to strike or dash between," reflecting disruption. In physics, it evolved to describe wave interactions (early 19th century), while its sports usage emerged later (late 19th century) to denote obstruction. The morpheme -ence nominalizes the action, preserving the original Latin structure.
The noise caused interference with the radio signal.
Quantum interference can produce unexpected wave patterns.
The referee penalized the player for interference.
External interference disrupted the experiment.
Her constant interference made teamwork difficult.