interloper

noun

in·ter·lop·er | \ ˌin-tər-ˈlō-pər

, ˈin-tər-ˌlō-\

Definition of interloper

: one that interlopes: such as

a : an illegal or unlicensed trader

b : one that intrudes in a place or sphere of activity

Synonyms The History of Interloper Example Sentences Learn More about interloper

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The History of Interloper

When English speakers combined "inter-" with "-loper" in the late 1500s, they already had a word landloper (now archaic) for "a person who runs about the land" (in other words, a vagrant). The "-loper" part of "interloper" is related to Middle Dutch and Old English words meaning "to run" and "to leap." An "interloper" is essentially one who jumps into the midst of things without an invitation to do so. In its earliest uses, "interloper" referred specifically to one who interfered in trade illegally - that is, a trader who trespassed on the rights or charters of others. Sometimes "interloper" even referred to a ship employed in illegal trading. But the word quickly took on extended use, coming to refer not just to intrusion in trade but also in personal affairs or other matters.

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

Be an Advocate A new interloper in the house is a big and often unpleasant change for even the most social dogs, says Katherine Pankratz, a clinical behavioral-medicine fellow at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. — Kathryn Miles, Outside Online, "How to Introduce Your New Dog to Your Old Dog," 14 Aug. 2019 That’s because those goofs typically give read permission to interlopers, but not the ability to write code. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "Hack Brief: A Card-Skimming Hacker Group Hit 17K Domains—and Counting," 11 July 2019 Along the way, astronomers should also discover a number of interstellar interlopers, although no one is yet sure of exactly how many. — Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, "European Comet Interceptor Could Visit an Interstellar Object," 24 June 2019 While many All-Star games feel staid and littered with corporate interlopers from out of town, Indians fans dominated the jerseys on the concourse and roared for heroes past and present. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "American League wins MLB All-Star Game to extend winning streak to seven games," 9 July 2019 And yet, their rituals become horrifying to interlopers, who are very modern and prefer to bury their feelings. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Ari Aster on his new film Midsommar: “I keep telling people I want it to be confusing”," 2 July 2019 The interloper represents Molly’s worst fear: that something bad will happen to her children. — Alexandra Alter, New York Times, "What to Expect When You’re Expecting Evil," 6 July 2019 In such cases, the interlopers would not supply Proven Data with a master key, which would have enabled the company to clear future incursions of the same ransomware for free. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, "The Trade Secret Firms That Promised High-Tech Ransomware Solutions Almost Always Just Pay the Hackers," 15 May 2019 The smart money, at least initially, was on Sterling Suffolk, not a brash interloper from Las Vegas. — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "Race to the finish, and maybe a new start," 27 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interloper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for interloper

interloper

noun

English Language Learners Definition of interloper

: a person who is not wanted or welcome by the other people in a situation or place

See the full definition for interloper in the English Language Learners Dictionary

interloper

noun

in·ter·lop·er | \ ˌin-tər-ˈlō-pər

Kids Definition of interloper

: a person present in a situation or place where he or she is not wanted

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interloper

Definition of interloper

Synonyms for interloper

The History of Interloper

Examples of interloper in a Sentence

First Known Use of interloper

English Language Learners Definition of interloper

Kids Definition of interloper

interloper

Definition of interloper

Synonyms for interloper

The History of Interloper

Examples of interloper in a Sentence

First Known Use of interloper

English Language Learners Definition of interloper

Kids Definition of interloper

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