interlocutor
noun
Did you know?
It may not necessarily be grandiloquence to use the word interlocutor in casual speech, but if your interlocutors—that is, the people with whom you are speaking—are using it, your conversation is likely a formal one. Interlocutor is one of many English words that comes from the Latin verb loqui, “to speak,” including loquacious (“talkative”), eloquent (“capable of fluent or vivid speech”), and grandiloquence (“extravagant or pompous speech”). In interlocutor, loqui was joined to inter- forming a Latin word meaning “to speak between” or “to issue an interlocutory decree.” An interlocutory decree is a judicial decision that isn’t final, or that deals with a point other than the principal subject matter of the dispute.
Examples of interlocutor in a Sentence
Tara John, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
In person, Ballerini is warm, chatty, slightly gossipy — a veteran star who has retained an essential down-to-earth quality but who also knows through experience how to create a sense of emotional intimacy with an interlocutor.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
His main interlocutor this week was Rishi Sunak, the previous Prime Minister and outgoing leader of the Conservatives.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024
Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, has been seen as the main interlocutor between the militant group and the United States, and has been trying to broker a cease-fire since fighting began a year ago.
—Bassem Mroue and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for interlocutor 
Dictionary Entries Near interlocutor
Cite this Entry
“Interlocutor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interlocutor. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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