Meaning & use
interchange
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
An exchange of ideas, information, goods, or actions between two or more people or things.
Grammar: Can be countable (an interchange) or uncountable (free interchange of ideas). Often followed by 'of'.
Patterns
- interchange of something
- interchange between people
The conference encouraged an interchange of ideas among scientists.
There was a lively interchange between the two debaters.
The interchange of goods between the two countries increased last year.
nouncountable
A junction where two or more roads meet, allowing traffic to move between them without crossing.
Grammar: Countable; often used in driving directions. Usually refers to a specific structure like a cloverleaf interchange.
Patterns
- at an interchange
- highway interchange
Take the second exit at the interchange to get on the highway.
The new interchange reduced traffic jams at the city limits.
We got lost near the complex interchange of three motorways.
verbtransitive
To put or use each of two things in the other's place; to exchange.
Grammar: Takes an object: interchange the two parts. Often used with 'with' or 'and'.
Patterns
- interchange something with something
- interchange something and something
You can interchange the two batteries; they are identical.
The teacher interchanged the students' seats to improve behavior.
The words 'happy' and 'glad' can often be interchanged.
Word forms
| plural | interchanges |
|---|---|
| third person singular | interchanges |
| past tense | interchanged |
| past participle | interchanged |
| -ing form | interchanging |
Common combinations
- interchange of ideas
- The workshop promoted an interchange of ideas between departments.
- highway interchange
- The highway interchange was closed for repairs.
- interchange something with something
- You can interchange the red wire with the blue one.
- free interchange
- There is free interchange of information among the team members.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exchange
- More general; can refer to any giving and receiving, while 'interchange' often implies a mutual or reciprocal action.
- junction
- Specifically for roads; 'interchange' is a type of junction that allows traffic to move between roads without crossing.
- swap
- Informal; suggests a direct trade, while 'interchange' can be more formal or technical.
Word family
- interchangeable adjective
- Able to be used in place of each other.
- interchangeably adverb
- In a way that allows swapping.
Commonly confused: interchange or interchangeable?
interchange vs interchangeable
This is an adjective meaning 'able to be exchanged'; 'interchange' is the noun or verb.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'interchange' correctly?
Choose one answer.
In option 2, 'interchange' is a noun meaning exchange. Option 1 uses it as a verb but the meaning is 'reschedule', which is not correct; option 3 uses it as an intransitive verb, which it is not; option 4 is grammatically incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “interchange”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.