▪ I. interview, n.
(ˈɪntəvjuː)
Forms: α. 6 entervewe, -vieu(e, 6–7 -vew, -viewe, 6–8 enterview; β. 7 intervieu, 7– interview.
[a. F. entrevue (earlier entreveue, 1498 in Godef. Compl.), verbal n. from entrevoir to have a glimpse of, s'entrevoir to see each other, f. entre- (enter-) + voir:—L. vidēre to see. (Mod.F. has taken interview from English in sense 1 c.)]
1. a. A meeting of persons face to face, esp. one sought or arranged for the purpose of formal conference on some point.
In early times, esp. a formal or ceremonial meeting of princes or great persons, such as that of Henry VIII and Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
| α 1514 Dk. Suffolk in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. I. 248 Your Grace understode how well mynded and desirous he was for th' Enterview to be had, betwixt your Highnes and hym. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 84 b, John duke of Bedforde, Philip duke of Burgoyn, & John duke of Britayn, made an assemble & frendly enterviewe in the citee of Amias. 1603 Florio Montaigne i. xiii. title, Of Ceremonies in the enterview of Kings. Ibid. i. xiii. (1898) 67 At the enterview, prepared at Merceilles betweene Pope Clement the seventh and Francis the first. 1703 Rowe Fair Penit. ii. i. 455 This one Enterview shall end my Cares. |
| β 1623 Meade in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. III. 137 Some opportune place where..they might have an interview. a 1626 Bacon New Atl. (1650) 24 They have ordained that none doe intermarry, or contract, untill a Moneth be past from their first inter-view. a 1714 Burnet Hist. Ref. I. ii. 203 He passed the seas, and had an interview with the French king. 1769 Robertson Chas. V, vi. Wks. 1813 VI. 77 He proposed an interview between the two monarchs at Nice. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. I. v. 378 She had an interview with Henry on his return through Canterbury. 1871 B. Taylor Faust (1875) I. Notes 226 The interview of Satan with the Lord in the first and second chapters of Job. |
† b. The action or fact of meeting or conferring together. Obs. rare.
| 1540–1 Elyot Image Gov. 19 Beyng sore shaken with many sweete woordes and longe entervieu, they yeld at the laste. 1609 Bp. W. Barlow Answ. Nameless Cath. 64 Not Christian onely for enteruiew and Salutation. |
c. spec. in recent use: A meeting between a representative of the press and some one from whom he seeks to obtain statements for publication. Similarly in broadcasting.
| 1869 Nation (N.Y.) 28 Jan. 67 The ‘interview’, as at present managed, is generally the joint product of some humbug of a hack politician and another humbug of a newspaper reporter. 1884 Pall Mall G. 31 Dec. 3/1 Among the permanent gains of the year the acclimatization of the ‘interview’ in English journalism certainly should be reckoned. 1897 Westm. Gaz. 2 Jan. 7/1 It is claimed for him [Joseph M'Cullagh, of St. Louis] that he was the inventor of the modern newspaper interview. 1956 B. Paulu Brit. Broadcasting vii. 176 The BBC prefers straight talks to interviews, believing that talks are more apt to be carefully worked out. 1965 Listener 18 Feb. 260/2 The right interview..has to be used in the right place with the right person if the programme is to be craftsmanlike. 1974 Radio Times 21 Feb. 5/5 The background to my interviews is firmly in my head, though I still face the interviewer's perennial problem of..when to change the topic. |
† 2. Mutual view (of each other). Obs. rare.
| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 328 They cannot endure the enterview one of another againe. 1667 H. More Div. Dial. iii. xxxiv. (1713) 273 Able to take a mutual interview of one another at such a distance. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 555 At interview both stood A while. |
† 3. a. Looking into, inspection, examination.
| c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (Camden) 117 We will..make a short enterviewe of those authors which they have brought forth for their purpose. 1579 J. Stubbes Gaping Gulf E ij, Yet doe I not gladly medle with thys particular, but wil also refer it to hir Maiesties enteruieue. 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie ii. 119 That they should make an enter-uew into the doinges of their iudges and iustices. |
† b. A view, glance, glimpse (of a thing). Obs.
| 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God vi. x. (1620) 241 If one had time to take enter-view of their actions, hee should see [etc.]. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage v. xiv. 440 Superstition, whose Owlish eyes cannot endure the enterview of Truth. 1638 Penkethman Artach. C iij, All the sorts of Bread [are] presented by every paire of Pages lying open at one Enterview. 1704 Norris Ideal World ii. iii. 112, I have a confuse interview of this involved secret, like the glimmering light that trims the edges of a dark cloud. 1719 Young Revenge ii. i, Let me not see him now; But save us from an interview of death. |
4. interview room (in a police station or prison).
| 1967 E. Grierson Crime of one's Own xvi. 135 Donald was called..to the interview room on the ground floor [of the prison]. 1969 J. Gardner Compl. State of Death v. 76 Interview room. Usual. Stone walls and glossy paint. Table. Three chairs. 1974 J. Wainwright Evidence I shall give xxxiii. 188 He..left the Murder Room and found a telephone in one of the Interview Rooms, where he couldn't be overheard. |
Add: [1.] d. spec. An oral assessment or examination of a candidate for a job, place in higher education, etc.
| 1917 ‘Taffrail’ Sub i. 27 It was neither the x and y part of the business nor the ‘medical’ which caused me qualms. It was the dreaded interview. 1945 Glamour Nov. 166/2 First, you have an interview with one of the leading model agencies, such as Conover or Powers. 1966 R. Milner How's World treating You? i. 10 Ever thought of joining the Guards?.. I could get you an interview with the Major-General. 1972 R. Maugham Servant i. ii. 20 But isn't it tomorrow morning you've got the interview for that job? 1982 R. Ingalls Mrs Caliban 123 She looked through the want ads and wrote for interviews. 1991 Times Educ. Suppl. 4 Jan. 29 (Advt.), This fly on the wall programme..encourages the viewer to learn interview skills through the experiences of five candidates applying for a job with a real company. |
e. (A session of) formal questioning by the police of a suspect or witness. Cf. interview room, sense 4 below.
| 1930 Punch 26 Feb. 236 His arm was twisted during the course of the interview, and his person was frisked on the chance of finding a gun. 1966 T. Capote In Cold Blood ii. 84 Young Rupp, the last person known to have seen the family alive, had already undergone one extensive interrogation, and..he was scheduled for a second interview, at which time he was to be given a polygraph test. 1976 Sunday Mail (Glasgow) 26 Dec. 1/1 He is one of three men wanted for interview after the brutal attack that left a teenage lad lying in a pool of his own blood in a shop doorway. 1990 Independent on Sunday 28 Jan. 17/7 The interrogation was split into five interviews. The police transcript alleges he broke down suddenly in the final one. |
▪ II. † interview, v.1 Obs.
Also 6 entervieu, -vew, 6–7 -view.
[ad. F. entrevoir, s'entrevoir, pa. pple. entrevu, on analogy of prec. or of view v.]
1. a. trans. To have a personal meeting with (each other). b. intr. To meet together in person.
| a 1548 Hall Chron. Hen. VI 175 b, Their mutuall frendes..exhorted theim..to mete and entervieu, in some place. Ibid., Edw. IV 230 b, That the .ij. princes..for the continuaunce of amitie should entervew eche other, in some place moste expedient. Ibid. 233 b, That the two Princes shoulde enterview, and mete in a place by both parties to be appoynted. |
2. trans. To catch a glimpse of, get a view of; to glance at, view.
| 1592 G. Harvey Four Lett. Sonn. vi, Oh, let me live to interview the face Of fair humanity and bounteous grace. 1611 Florio, Interuedere, to interuiew or see. 1624 F. White Repl. Fisher 521 Enteruiewing the places, you shall perceiue, that the Fathers..speake of obtention and impetration. |
▪ III. interview, v.2
(ˈɪntəvjuː)
[f. interview n.]
trans. To have an interview with (a person); spec. on the part of a representative of the press: to talk with or question so as to elicit statements or facts for publication; similarly, to talk with or question (a person) for a programme broadcast on radio or television.
| 1869 Nation (N.Y.) 28 Jan. 66 ‘Interviewing’ is confined to American journalism. 1869 Daily News 17 Dec., The Sun interviews Corbin, Fisk..and whoever else has any story to tell or axe to grind. 1870 Longfellow in Life (1891) III. 144 A northwest newspaper, in which I have been ‘interviewed’, and private conversation reported to the public. 1877 E. FitzGerald Lett. I. 409, I was the intelligent Friend who interviewed Squire. 1880 Daily News 13 Nov., The American custom of ‘interviewing’ people of notoriety and of ‘drawing’ them for opinions on all topics. 1933 Radio Times 14 Apr. 96/1 Three speakers..will interview experts in design before the microphone on behalf of listeners. 1957 G. Harding Along my Line xvi. 159 One or two of the guests whom I had agreed to interview had gone to the trouble to notify their friends and relations across the width and breadth of Canada. 1974 Radio Times 21 Feb. 41/2 Robin Day interviewing those making the news. |
Hence ˈinterviewed ppl. a.; ˈinterviewing vbl. n. Also interˈviewable a., capable of or open to being interviewed.
| 1869 Daily News 17 Dec., A portion of the daily newspapers of New York are bringing the profession of journalism into contempt, so far as they can, by a kind of toadyism or flunkeyism, which they call ‘interviewing’. 1878 N. Amer. Rev. CXXVII. 65 The interviewed..with great facility changes his positions. 1880 Grant White Every-Day Eng. 307 It must have got about that I was an interviewable man (interviewable, although never used before, I believe, is an excellent word). 1949 Radio Times 15 July 9/2 As compère, Brian Reece returns to the job in which he first showed his flair for radio—that of interviewing, ‘gagging’, and knitting a programme together. 1960 20th Cent. May 458 There is no substitute for direct contact through intimate interviewing. 1968 Guardian 26 Apr. 9/1, I wish I had some interviewing officers who could interview. |
Add: 2. intr. To conduct or take part in an interview; also, of an interviewee: to perform (well, badly, etc.) in an interview.
| 1961 in Webster. 1965 S. A. Richardson et al. Interviewing i. i. 20 The investigator who finds that documentary evidence is superficial or otherwise inadequate may interview to discover what underlies the recorded data. 1971 Where Nov. 349/3 He interviews so well, but his showing on paper is so far behind his obvious potential, he has failed to get an interview..from any of the five universities to which he applied. 1979 Tucson Mag. Jan. 19/1 We tried and tried and tried to get Linda Ronstadt to interview with us, but she refused. 1983 American Way June 84, I wanted to be in film, and when I interviewed at Universal and Disney, they told me frankly, ‘Can you type? Because it's the only option left to someone who isn't an actor or technician.’ 1983 ‘J. le Carré’ Little Drummer Girl iv. 76 ‘How does Charlie interview?’.. ‘What can possibly be wrong with her interviewing well?’ |