interloper

interloper

From Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day by Merriam-Webster

June 5, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the word 'interloper', its meaning, usage, and etymology.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2026 is: interloper • \in-ter-LOH-per\  • noun An interloper is a person who intrudes in a place or sphere of activity; they are not wanted or welcome by the other people present. // Summer residents were regarded as interlopers who lacked a commitment to the town's welfare. See the entry > Examples: "... my garden is wildlife friendly, sometimes too friendly. By not being overly concerned about interlopers , it welcomes birds and bugs now, including beneficial insects. They help keep things in balance. Not so welcome are rabbits, but they still find their way in." — David Hobson, The Waterloo (Ontario) Region Record , 16 Apr. 2026 Did you know? If you keep chickens, a coyote loping around in the vicinity of your coop is not welcome. You'd be justified, both semantically and etymologically, in calling such a coyote an interloper. The -loper part of interloper shares an ancestor with the Old English verb hlēapan , meaning "to leap," and the Dutch verb lopen , meaning "to run." (The verb lope does too.) The prefix inter- means "between" or "among," so an interloper is essentially one that leaps in among others (for…

People in this episode

Host: Merriam-Webster

Topics covered

  • language
  • vocabulary
  • word origins
  • intrusion
  • community

Keywords

  • interloper
  • definition
  • etymology
  • language
  • vocabulary
  • intruder
  • community

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Waterloo (Ontario) Region Record

More episodes of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day podcast page.