Interfere, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Interfered; p. pr. & vb. n. Interfering.]
Etymology: [OF. entreferir to strike each other; entre between (L. inter) + OF. ferir to strike, F. férir, fr. L. ferire. See Ferula.]
1. To come in collision; to be in opposition; to clash; as, interfering claims, or commands.
2. To enter into, or take a part in, the concerns of others; to intermeddle; to interpose. To interfere with party disputes. Swift. There was no room for anyone to interfere with his own opinions. Bp. Warburton.
3. To strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle in using the legs; -- sometimes said of a human being, but usually of a horse; as, the horse interferes.
4. (Physics)
4 more senses
To act reciprocally, so as to augment, diminish, or otherwise affect one another; -- said of waves, rays of light, heat, etc. See Interference, 2.
5. (Patent Law)
To cover the same ground; to claim the same invention.
Syn. -- To interpose; intermeddle. See Interpose.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for interfere; he lists it under interpose.
Where he writes about it:
Intercede and interpose are used in a good sense; intermeddle always in a bad sense, and interfere frequently so. — from interpose
To intermeddle is to thrust oneself into the concerns of others with a petty officiousness; meddling commonly arises from idle curiosity; "every fool will be meddling," Prov. xx, 3; to interfere is to intrude into others' affairs with more serious purpose, with or without acknowledged right or propriety. — from interpose