Interlocutor (linguistics)


In linguistics, discourse analysis, and related fields, an interlocutor is a person involved in a conversation or dialogue. Two or more people speaking to one another are each other's interlocutors. The terms conversation partner, hearer, or addressee are oftentimes used interchangeably with interlocutor.
According to Paul Grice, the behavior of interlocutors in ordinary conversation is governed by the cooperative principle.