What does interloper mean?
An interloper is a person who enters a place, group, activity, or situation without being invited or authorized. The word commonly carries a negative or disapproving tone, suggesting that the person's arrival is intrusive, disruptive, or an attempt to interfere with something that does not concern them. It is especially frequent in descriptions of unwanted visitors, political disputes, negotiations, organizations, and private meetings. In legal usage, an interloper may specifically be someone who enters or remains on another person's land without permission. The word is more pointed than a neutral description such as visitor and stronger in its implication than outsider, because it usually implies a lack of permission and sometimes deliberate interference. Even when the presence is not physically disruptive, the term can imply that the person has no legitimate place in the group or activity. An interloper is thus someone whose involvement is unauthorized and unwelcome.
nounSomeone who enters a place, group, activity, or situation without invitation or authorization, especially someone whose presence is unwelcome or disruptive. In legal contexts, the term can refer to a person who enters or remains on land without permission.
- A person who intrudes into a group, activity, or situation without invitation or authorization, especially one whose presence is unwelcome.
- A person who enters or remains on land without the owner's permission or authorization.
"The meeting was stopped when an unwelcome interloper began recording the discussion."
"The security guard removed the interloper from the private meeting."
"Under the law, the interloper was ordered to leave the property and could be charged with trespass."
Used for more than one unwelcome or unauthorized person.
"Several interlopers tried to enter the demonstration without a ticket."
An interloper is not merely visiting: the word suggests someone has arrived without permission and is trying to take part.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does interloper come from?
The word is an English formation based on inter- and the verb lope, originally suggesting someone who comes or moves in between. The prefix inter- comes from Latin, meaning “between” or “among,” while lope is an English word meaning to run or move at a fast pace. The compound developed the sense of a person who intrudes into a place, group, or activity without permission. It later acquired a legal use for a person who enters land without authorization.
Related word forms
How interloper is actually used
The word is usually negative and implies unwanted involvement, although it can be used formally or humorously. It is especially common in political, legal, business, and organizational contexts, and is more typical in British and American English than in highly formal or neutral writing.
Easily confused with interloper
An intruder is someone who enters a place or disrupts an activity without permission, while an interloper is usually an unwelcome participant or arrival, often in a group, situation, or matter.
An interloper is a person who intrudes into a group or situation, whereas an intervention is an action or attempt to change the course of events.