interviewer

interviewer — noun

1. someone whose job is to ask questions during interviews, like a journalist talki

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose job is to ask questions during interviews, like a journalist talking to a famous person or an employer meeting a job candidate

Example

The interviewer asked Priya about her experience with data analysis during the job interview.

collocation: interviewer + ask + about [topic]

Aiko felt nervous when the interviewer began writing notes on her answers.

interviewer + begin + verb-ing (action during interview)

Common collocations
  • interviewer asks about
  • interviewer takes notes
  • interviewer nods
  • friendly interviewer
  • experienced interviewer
Synonyms
  • questioner

    more formal and less common; often used in written reports or legal settings rather than everyday conversation

  • examiner

    used mainly for oral tests, academic viva exams, or official inspections — not for job interviews

  • recruiter

    focuses on the overall hiring process and may not personally conduct the interview

Antonyms
  • interviewee

    the person who answers the questions during an interview

Usage Note

Countable noun: you can say 'one interviewer' or 'several interviewers'. Do not use it as an uncountable mass noun.

Common Mistakes

The interviewee asked me about my previous job.' (when meaning the person asking questions).
The interviewer asked me about my previous job.
'Interviewee' means the person being asked; 'interviewer' means the person asking.
The company has three experienced interviewer.
The company has three experienced interviewers.
'Interviewer' is a countable noun and needs an -s ending in the plural form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Interviewer is the most general and neutral term for anyone who asks questions in a formal information-gathering setting, especially job interviews or media interviews. Examiner has a narrower scope: it is used for academic or professional tests where a candidate's knowledge is evaluated against a standard — for example, a driving-test examiner or a university oral-exam examiner. Questioner is more formal and appears mostly in written accounts ('the questioner pressed for details') rather than in everyday speech about job hunting. Interrogator is the strongest of the four and carries a negative or aggressive tone, associated with police questioning or hostile cross-examination. In most workplace and media contexts, interviewer is the correct and natural choice.

interviewer ↗examiner ↗questioner ↗interrogator