interval

American  

[in-ter-vuhl] / ˈɪn tər vəl /

noun

• intervals
  plural

1. an intervening period of time.

   an interval of 50 years.

2. a period of temporary cessation; pause.

   intervals between the volleys of gunfire.

3. a space between things, points, limits, etc.; interspace.

   an interval of ten feet between posts.

   Synonyms:

   gulf, separation, gap, opening

4. Mathematics.

   1. the totality of points on a line between two designated points or endpoints that may or may not be included.

   2. any generalization of this to higher dimensions, as a rectangle with sides parallel to the coordinate axes.

5. the space between soldiers or units in military formation.

6. Music. the difference in pitch between two tones, as between two tones sounded simultaneously harmonic interval or between two tones sounded successively melodic interval.

7. Chiefly New England. intervale.

8. Cards. a period in a game for placing bets.

9. British. an intermission, as between the acts of a play.

---

idioms

1. at intervals,

   1. at particular periods of time; now and then.

      At intervals, there were formal receptions at the governor's mansion.

   2. at particular places, with gaps in between.

      detour signs at intervals along the highway.

interval British  

/ ˈɪntəvəl, ˌɪntəˈvælɪk /

noun

1. the period of time marked off by or between two events, instants, etc

2. the distance between two points, objects, etc

3. a pause or interlude, as between periods of intense activity

4. a short period between parts of a play, concert, film, etc; intermission

5. music the difference of pitch between two notes, either sounded simultaneously ( harmonic interval ) or in succession as in a musical part ( melodic interval ). An interval is calculated by counting the (inclusive) number of notes of the diatonic scale between the two notes

   the interval between C and G is a fifth

6. the ratio of the frequencies of two sounds

7. maths the set containing all real numbers or points between two given numbers or points, called the endpoints. A closed interval includes the endpoints, but an open interval does not

8. 1. occasionally or intermittently

   2. with spaces between

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intervalic
  adjective
• intervallic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intervals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of interval

1250–1300; Middle English intervall ( e ) < Latin intervallum interval, literally, space between two palisades. See inter-, wall

Explanation

A clock breaks time down into intervals of seconds, minutes, and hours. An interval is a distinct measure of time or the physical or temporal distance between two things. When you are driving down the highway at 60 mph, you'll see distance markers at intervals of .1 miles. That means that every 1/10th of a mile, you will see one of these markers. Do the math and you'll see that these signs flash by you at intervals of 6 seconds. If your coach tells you to try interval training, he is telling you to do something like run for three minutes, lift weights for two, then run again for three. If he tells you do this again and again, you might want to end this interval of your life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interval intervals

It will be an extended international interval across the end of September and start of October to cut the number of breaks during the club season.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Mr. Meyer’s puts a welcome focus on Arendt’s Paris years, which other writers have treated as an interval between German apprenticeship and American fame.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

With this, Saints finally gained some possession and repeat sets and McColm went over just before the interval.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Redemption requests peppering private-credit interval funds have generated opportunities for secondary buyers hoping to acquire discounted assets by providing cash that fund managers can return to investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Any scale with this interval pattern can be called a 11dorian minor scale11.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

The Rumbler interacts with a standard police siren, which generates around 110 to 120 decibels, and amplifies that sound through its speakers in eight-second intervals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Pharrell’s ad-libs and inserts interrupting the groove at perfect intervals to wake up the dancefloor.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

For each contract, the researchers collected its order book at 15-minute intervals, enabling them to determine the impact of trade size on a contract’s price.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

That would be slightly faster than market expectations for one hike at six-month intervals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

A piano tuner works by listening to and timing these beats, rather than by being able to "hear" equal temperament intervals precisely.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• hiatus
• intermission
• interruption
• layoff
• lull
• spell