Interference vs. Diffraction — What's the Difference?

The action of interfering or the process of being interfered with

Diffraction refers to various phenomena that occur when a wave encounters an obstacle or opening. It is defined as the bending of waves around the corners of an obstacle or through an aperture into the region of geometrical shadow of the obstacle/aperture.

The combination of two or more electromagnetic waveforms to form a resultant wave in which the displacement is either reinforced or cancelled.

Change or dispersion of the direction and intensity of a wave as it traverses an object or aperture, especially when the size of the object or aperture approximates the wavelength of the wave.

The act or an instance of hindering, obstructing, or impeding.

(physics) The bending of a wave around an obstacle.

Something that hinders, obstructs, or impedes.

(quantum mechanics) The breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure (e.g. a slit), followed by reconstruction of the wave by interference.

(Sports) Illegal obstruction or hindrance of an opposing player, such as hindrance of a receiver by a defender in football, hindrance of a fielder by a base runner in baseball, or checking a player not in possession of the puck in ice hockey.

The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors, as by the action of a grating of fine lines or bars.

(Football) The legal blocking of defensive tacklers to protect and make way for the ball carrier.

When light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands

(Physics) The variation of wave amplitude that occurs from the superposition of two or more waves.

The inhibition or prevention of clear reception of broadcast signals.

The distorted portion of a received signal.

The negative or distorting effect that new learning can have on previous learning or that previous learning can have on new learning.

The act of interfering with something, or something that interferes.

(sports) The illegal obstruction of an opponent in some ball games.

(physics) An effect caused by the superposition of two systems of waves.

A distortion on a broadcast signal due to atmospheric or other effects.

In United States patent law, an inter partes proceeding to determine the priority issues of multiple patent applications; a priority contest.

(chess) The interruption of the line between an attacked piece and its defender by sacrificially interposing a piece.

(linguistics) The situation where a person who knows two languages inappropriately transfers lexical items or structures from one to the other.

(nonstandard) To interfere.

The act or state of interfering; as, the stoppage of a machine by the interference of some of its parts; a meddlesome interference in the business of others.

The mutual influence, under certain conditions, as from streams of light, or pulsations of sound, or, generally, two waves or vibrations of any kind, producing certain characteristic phenomena, as colored fringes, dark bands, or darkness, in the case of light, silence or increased intensity in sounds; neutralization or superposition of waves generally.

The act or state of interfering, or of claiming a right to the same invention.

A policy of intervening in the affairs of other countries

The act of hindering or obstructing or impeding

Electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication

(American football) the act of obstructing someone's path with your body;

Any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome