interception

American  

[in-ter-sep-shuhn] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of intercepting.

2. the state or fact of being intercepted.

3. Military.

   1. the engaging of an enemy force in an attempt to hinder or prevent it from carrying out its mission.

   2. the monitoring of enemy radio transmission to obtain information.

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Etymology

Origin of interception

First recorded in 1590–1600, interception is from the Latin word interceptiōn- (stem of interceptiō ). See intercept, -ion

Explanation

Interception is blocking or stopping something from reaching its intended destination. Your clever interception of a note passed in math class kept your crush from learning your true feelings. While you might hear about an intelligence agency's interception of secret spy messages or your sister's interception of the family's goofy dog before he knocks your grandma down, this word is most commonly used in sports. American football is all about interceptions, moments when one player grabs hold of a ball that was thrown to the opposing team: "They played a really strong defense, with three interceptions."

Example Sentences

For such situations, Argus Interception, a spinoff of a German university project, has developed A1-Falke, a drone that targets intruders with nets and brings them back to base.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

“I feel like today every big play we had got called back. Interception, called back. Touchdown, called back. It’s tough to play like that, especially against a good team.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 11, 2022

Interception No. 4 was even uglier, almost as if New England’s Devin McCourty was Wilson’s intended target.

From New York Times • Sep. 19, 2021

Interception machine: Mission Viejo’s defense has 18 interceptions this season after two more on Friday to hold off rival Capistrano Valley 31-24 in a battle of 7-0 teams.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2018

Interception and even the thought of it was impossible.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou