interviewee
B1Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
The person who is being asked questions in an interview.
The person subjected to questioning, assessment, or evaluation in a structured conversational setting, such as a job interview, research study, or media broadcast.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Noun derived from 'interview' + suffix '-ee' (indicating the recipient of an action). Forms a complementary pair with 'interviewer'. Used in professional, media, academic, and research contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Job interviews are often called 'interviews' (UK) and 'interviews' or 'job interviews' (US). The role and term are identical.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties, describing a role within a formal or semi-formal interaction.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties due to universal job markets and media practices.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[interviewee] + verb (answered, responded, described)[interviewer] + questioned/asked + [the interviewee]prepare/brief + [the interviewee]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On the hot seat (informal for being interviewed under pressure)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The person being considered for a job position.
Academic
The individual participating in qualitative research, providing data.
Everyday
Someone answering questions for a newspaper article or local radio.
Technical
The human subject in a structured oral data-gathering protocol.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The interviewee was very friendly.
- She is the interviewee in the video.
- The job interviewee arrived ten minutes early.
- Each research interviewee answered the same questions.
- The interviewee eloquently outlined her previous management experience.
- Prior to recording, the interviewer briefed the interviewee on the key topics.
- A skilled interviewee can steer the conversation towards their strengths without appearing evasive.
- The anonymity of the interviewee was guaranteed in the published ethnography.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: Interview + double 'E' – the person who is being interviewed receives the action, just like an 'employEE' receives employment.
Conceptual Metaphor
An interviewee is a performer (on stage), a subject under examination (in a lab), or a resource (being tapped for information).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'интервьюер' (interviewer). 'Интервьюируемый' is a direct equivalent.
- Avoid using 'кандидат' (candidate) as a direct translation in all contexts—it's specific to job situations.
Common Mistakes
- Spelling: 'interviewe' (missing an 'e') or 'intervewee'.
- Using 'interviewee' to mean the person asking questions (that's the 'interviewer').
Practice
Quiz
Which person is the 'interviewee'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The interviewee is the person answering questions; the interviewer is the person asking them.
Yes, it's used in media, academic research, and any situation involving a structured Q&A session.
Only in job-seeking contexts. In media or research, 'respondent', 'subject', or 'guest' are more accurate.
Stress is on the last syllable: '...view-EE'. UK: /ˌɪn.tə.vjuːˈiː/, US: /ˌɪn.t̬ɚ.vjuːˈiː/.