interloper
Americannoun
-
a person who interferes or meddles in the affairs of others.
He was an atheist who felt like an interloper in this religious gathering.
-
an intruder; trespasser.
-
a person who intrudes into some region or field of trade without a proper license.
noun
-
an intruder
-
a person who introduces himself into professional or social circles where he does not belong
-
a person who interferes in matters that are not his concern
-
a person who trades unlawfully
Etymology
Origin of interloper
First recorded in 1585–95; inter- + lope + -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
If you intrude on people without their permission, you are an interloper. An interloper crashes parties and laughs at "No Trespassing" signs. Interloper was likely formed by combining inter-, ("between") with -loper, (from landloper, meaning "vagabond" or "adventurer"). An interloper, then, is someone who has ventured or traveled where he was not welcome. The noun interloper may also refer to something other than a person: "The new chain superstore built at the edge of town and was an interloper among the various mom-and-pop grocery stores in the area."
Vocabulary lists containing interloper
Beowulf
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Long Walk to Freedom
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As in “The Country of the Pointed Firs,” the novel is about the arrival of a worldly interloper to a remote, pastoral community.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Mr. B. eventually moved on and the interloper, dubbed Shadow, moved in.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
The career interloper was on the cusp of becoming the establishment, if he wasn’t already.
From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025
The last time he played Glastonbury, in 2002, he was viewed as an interloper – sitting awkwardly on the bill beside the likes of The White Stripes, Coldplay and Orbital.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2025
They’ve been friends for an eon, and technically, I’m the interloper, so no big deal.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
