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

See Examples For:

interception

In August, Kyiv mostly stopped publishing the figures that would show its interception rate.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Several defense-technology companies are working on a new generation of interceptors to counter the threat and bring the interception rate back to over 90%, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

He set many school records, including his 2007 season in which he threw 42 touchdown passes with one interception.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

That compares to an interception rate for drones of around 90 percent.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

A life of frequent concerns that the next interception may not work, that the trap or the drive will fail, or that the herds will not appear this season.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer