interview

An interview is not just any chat. It is a conversation with a clear purpose. Often, one person asks questions and the other answers so that information can be gathered or a decision can be made. You might have one when applying for a job, and a journalist might do one to learn more about a person or an event. The word can name both the meeting itself and the act of asking questions in this way. It comes from the French entrevue, meaning "to see each other."

An interview is a formal or informal conversation meant to gather information from another person. While many people first think of a job interview, where an employer asks questions to judge a candidate's skills and experience, this kind of exchange appears in many other situations. A journalist may interview a public figure to learn their views, and a researcher may interview people as part of a study.

At its core, it is an exchange of questions and answers. The person asking the questions is the interviewer, and the person answering them is the interviewee. The questions may be about qualifications, opinions, experiences, plans, or anything else connected to the purpose of the meeting.

It is not always a one-sided process. A good interviewer listens carefully and asks follow-up questions based on the answers they hear. In that way, both people help build a clearer understanding.

You may also hear about exit interviews when someone leaves a company, or police interviews during an investigation. The tone may be friendly, formal, or serious depending on the situation, but the basic idea stays the same: a structured conversation used to learn something important. The word can also be used as a verb, as in "The reporter interviewed the actor." Whether it is for a job, a story, research, or an investigation, an interview is a common way to learn about people and what they know.