What does interviewee mean?
An interviewee is the person who answers questions in an interview. The term applies across many settings: a reporter may describe a politician as an interviewee, a researcher may quote an interviewee, and an employer may evaluate a candidate who has been invited to interview. It is therefore broader than the more specific “respondent,” which often suggests someone answering a survey or questionnaire, and it is not limited to people seeking employment. In ordinary use, interviewee identifies the participant rather than the person conducting the exchange, the interviewer. The suffix -ee makes that relationship explicit. While the word is neutral and common in journalism, research, and hiring, it sounds somewhat more formal than describing someone simply as “the person being questioned.” It can carry the implication that the exchange is consequential or that the person’s statements will be attributed, though that implication comes from the context rather than from the word itself. Recognizing the contrast with interviewer helps prevent a common source of confusion.
nounA person who answers questions during an interview, such as a person questioned by a journalist, researcher, or employer.
- A person who is asked questions in an interview and whose responses are recorded, reported, or evaluated.
"The interviewee agreed to discuss her career with the newspaper."
"Each interviewee was asked to describe how the restructuring had affected the local community."
"The employer asked the interviewee to explain a gap in her employment history."
The regular plural is interviewees.
"The documentary features interviews with former interviewees from the company."
The “-ee” ending makes the role explicit: the interviewer asks, and the interviewee answers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does interviewee come from?
Interviewee was formed in 19th-century English by adding the productive suffix -ee to interview, producing a noun for the person on whom the questioning is focused. Interview ultimately comes from Latin inter (“between”) and videre (“to see”), through French interviewer. Its relatives include interviewer, view, and preview, which preserve the root of videre.
Related word forms
How interviewee is actually used
The term is neutral and common in journalism, research, and hiring. It is broader than “respondent,” which often denotes someone answering a survey or questionnaire, and it is not restricted to candidates for a job.
Easily confused with interviewee
An interviewer asks the questions, whereas an interviewee answers them.