interlocutor

Interlocutor is a noun referring to a person who participates in a dialogue or conversation with another person. The term can apply to any communicative setting, from casual discussions to formal interviews, debates, or theatrical dialogues.

Etymology: from Latin interloqui “to speak between” or “to converse”; the agent noun is interlocutor. The feminine form interlocutrix is rare in contemporary English but appears in some classical or formal contexts.

In linguistics and pragmatics, interlocutors are the talking partners in a discourse; their roles influence turn-taking, coordination, and forms of address. In literature and philosophy, the term often denotes the opposing or responsive participant in a dialogue, such as Socrates and his interlocutors in Plato’s works.

Related terms and notes: Interlocution refers to the act of conversing or the dialogue itself. In legal usage, interlocutory (as in an interlocutory order) derives from the same root but has a distinct meaning. The term is widely understood in English but is particularly common in academic, rhetorical, and literary contexts.