☼ Concept Map

''interlocutor'' ▫ᴱᴺ Entries

↩ 🔳 🔳 🔳

Primary

⁀➴

''interlocutor'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20250816011902-00-⌔

interlocutor - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Noun

interlocutor (plural interlocutors)

  • A person who takes part in dialogue or conversation: a locutive partner.
    • ✤ Synonyms: converser, conversant, conversationalist, partner, collocutor
    • ✤ Coordinate terms: asker, answerer, correspondent, interviewer, interviewee, penpal
    • ✤ Explanations which continually remind one’s interlocutor of one’s ignorance are a great damper upon the easy flow of talk.1
    • ✤ In the run-up to his return to the White House next Monday, Mr. Trump has rattled the world, and America’s neighborhood in particular, with a list of objectives – buying Greenland, seizing the Panama Canal, making Canada the 51st state – that treat friendly nations as weak interlocutors and impediments to be subdued.2
  • A man in the middle of the line in a minstrel show who questions the endmen and acts as leader.
    • ✤ The “interlocutor” greeted the audience and engaged in comical repartee with the “end men,” named Tambo and Bones.3
  • (law) An interlocutory judgement or sentence.

Noun

interlocutor (plural interlocutors)

  • (Scots law) A decree of a court.
    • ✤ A decree of the English Court of Chancery is not entitled to more respect in Scotland than a decree (interlocutor) of the Scottish Court of Session in England.4

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA: /ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə/, /ˌɪntəˈlɒkjətə/
  • (General American) IPA: /ˌɪn.təɹˈlɑk.jə.təɹ/, /ˌɪn.təɹˈlɑ.kə.təɹ/, /ˌɪn.təɹˈlɑk.ju.təɹ/
  • Audio (US): 🔊
  • Audio (US): 🔊

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin interlocūtor, from the agent noun counterpart (via the suffix -tor) of Latin interloquor (“speak between, issue an interlocutory decree”), from inter- + loquor (“speak”).

Etymology 2

From French interlocutoire, from Latin interlocūtōrium.

Printed 2026-06-28.

(echo:: @ ⌗)

Footnotes

  1. 1894, Calvin Thomas, “The Teacher’s Outfit in German”, in The School Review, volume 2, number 7, page 406: ↩

  2. 2025 January 14, Howard LaFranchi, “In Biden-Trump handoff, a foreign policy shift for a changed world?”, in The Christian Science Monitor: ↩

  3. 1991, Maureen Costonis, “Martha Graham’s American Document: A Minstrel Show in Modern Dance Dress”, in American Music, volume 9, number 3, page 299: ↩

  4. 1869, “The Judicial System of Scotland”, in The American Law Register (1852-1891), volume 17, number 5, page 257: ↩

Link to original

Secondary

• • •