interloper

noun

in·​ter·​lop·​er ˌin-tər-ˈlō-pər How to pronounce interloper (audio)
ˈin-tər-ˌlō-
: one that interlopes: such as
a
: one that intrudes in a place or sphere of activity
b
: an illegal or unlicensed trader

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The History of Interloper

The -loper part of interloper is believed to be either from an English dialectal word meaning "leap" or from a Dutch word meaning "to run." (The prefix inter- means "between" or "among.") An interloper is essentially one that jumps into the midst of things without an invitation to do so.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That produced a great combo; those road team interlopers mingled with bitter home fans in just the right ratio to get a fantastic crowd reaction. Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025 The most dominant interloper was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was polling at a healthy 11.7% and was being taken seriously, particularly by the Democratic National Committee. Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2025 The only interloper is No. 3 Ohio State, which at this point should take career advice from Michael Jackson. David Whitley, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 The bear was later found in the storage area, so workers set up a box trap, with honey and apples to attract the interloper. Junko Ogura, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for interloper 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1590, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interloper was circa 1590

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Dictionary Entries Near interloper

Cite this Entry

“Interloper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interloper. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

interloper

noun
in·​ter·​lop·​er ˌint-ər-ˈlō-pər How to pronounce interloper (audio)
ˈint-ər-ˌlō-pər
: a person who intrudes or interferes wrongly or meddlesomely

More from Merriam-Webster on interloper

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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