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interplay

interplay

18 4.8
A way that two or more things affect each other
  • noun
  • /ˈɪntərˌpleɪ/
translation icon : interacción
  • Obesity, like many other health problems, results from a complex interplay of biological, social, and behavioral factors.
  • complex interplay
  • dynamic interplay
  • social interplay

What are they doing wrong in this interplay with big Pharma?

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Examples

  • The change is constant due to the interplay of countless forces from sources around the world.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The episode illuminates the interplay of personality and process in policymaking.

    Academic text (2013)
  • So these are all good examples of how the interplay works here.

  • Solutions that draw on the interplay of different fields and points of view.

  • And then also the interplay of private or semi private players.

  • Something that the two of you do very well in the book is keep in mind the interplay between privacy and prediction.

  • Those who study the complex interplay of cause and effect in the history of the universe say that this sort of thing is going on all the time.

  • Tocqueville, in his classic work, Democracy in America, was particularly interested in the interplay between religion and politics.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And I look at the interplay between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts and think, this is just pure beautiful, you know, character comedy.

  • The film beautifully illustrates the interplay of light and shadow to create a dramatic effect.

Synonyms

interaction
vsinterplay
259 3.5

People or things act on each other and cause change

is about the overall way they affect each other rather than the ongoing process
interdependence
vsinterplay
9 5.1

A situation where people or things depend on each other

is more general covering influence without necessary mutual reliance
interconnection
vsinterplay
7 4.4

A group of things linked so they work together and change each other

emphasizes the way they affect each other rather than the mere connection
interrelationship
vsinterplay
2 5.9

A connection where two or more things affect each other

is broader covering any way two or more elements affect each other
interrelation
vsinterplay
1 5.8

A way two or more things connect and affect each other

focuses on the overall pattern of effects rather than just the connection
interlinkage
vsinterplay
1 6.1

A connection between things or systems that makes them affect each other

focuses on reciprocal effects rather than just physical links

How Strong

interplay
18 4.8
interaction
259 3.5

Surface Forms

interplay singular
interplays plural

Morphology

interplay = play (transparent) = inter + play

The meaning is directly built from the prefix 'inter-' (between/among) plus 'play' (to act), yielding mutual action or interaction.

Etymology

Interplay comes from the parts inter- meaning 'between' and play meaning 'to act or move', so imagine two things 'playing' with each other and changing what happens. That's why interplay means the way things affect and influence each other.