1. In process instrumentation, an unwanted component of signal or. See “interference, electromagnetic”. 2. Any spurious variation in the electrical output not present in the input. 3. An unwanted component of a signal or variable which obscures the information content. 4. Random variations of one or more characteristics of any entity, such as voltage, current, or data. 5. A random signal of known statistical properties of amplitude, distribution, and spectral density. 6. Loosely, any disturbance tending to interfere with the normal operation of a device or system