interlocutor
noun
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It may not necessarily be grandiloquence to use the word interlocutor in casual speech, but if your interlocutors—that is, the people with whom you are speaking—are using it, your conversation is likely a formal one. Interlocutor is one of many English words that comes from the Latin verb loqui, “to speak,” including loquacious (“talkative”), eloquent (“capable of fluent or vivid speech”), and grandiloquence (“extravagant or pompous speech”). In interlocutor, loqui was joined to inter- forming a Latin word meaning “to speak between” or “to issue an interlocutory decree.” An interlocutory decree is a judicial decision that isn’t final, or that deals with a point other than the principal subject matter of the dispute.
Examples of interlocutor in a Sentence
Isaac Stanley-Becker, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
Oman long has served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West.
—Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 16 June 2024
Notably, the official who was thought to have been Tehran’s chief interlocutor in the Iran-contra deal was the wily speaker of the Iranian parliament, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who became president in 1989 in the aftermath of Khomeini’s death.
—Ali M. Ansari, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2024
Leighton has become a hostile interlocutor now, which becomes apparent even before Dawn throws Ryan B up against the glass.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for interlocutor 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interlocutor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near interlocutor
Cite this Entry
“Interlocutor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interlocutor. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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