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.

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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 /

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intervalic
  adjective
• intervallic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intervals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of interval

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

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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

To determine exactly when the electrons move, they use two pulses of light separated by a precisely controlled interval.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2026

“Whenever you see a ‘fitness boot camp’ or a class advertised as ‘high-intensity interval training,’ you are seeing the legacy of CrossFit.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

That ancestor is estimated to have lived during the Early Miocene, an interval spanning roughly 23 million to 16 million years ago.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

When Whelan was commissioned to orchestrate the interval for the 1994 competition, again hosted in Ireland, he built on the foundation established by himself and Lunny.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

This led to the second and most intriguing agreement—namely, that an interval lasting “a few seconds” occurred between shots.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

It showed that the laser pulses could transfer electrons within these incredibly brief intervals while allowing scientists to observe the process as it happened.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2026

For the most part, however, stores raise prices overnight or at regular intervals such as Monday mornings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Morris suggests explaining this card system to your niece and then checking in at regular intervals to make sure she’s following the rules.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026

At three intervals, a bell would ring, and the players all had to stop and put on blindfolds for a few minutes.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Now we were close enough to see the skull-and-crossbones posted at intervals on the walls to warn of electrified wiring along the top.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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Related Words

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

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