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• interim
  interim

  noun

  an intervening time; interval; meantime.
• Interim
  Interim

  noun

  any of three provisional arrangements made during the Reformation by the German emperor and Diet to regulate religious differences between Roman Catholics and Protestants

interim

American  

[in-ter-uhm] / ˈɪn tər əm /

noun

• interims
  plural

1. an intervening time; interval; meantime.

   School doesn't start till September, but he's taking a Spanish class in the interim.

2. a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift.

   As an interim, her summer job was pretty good.

3. Church History. Interim, any of three provisional arrangements for the settlement of religious differences between German Protestants and Roman Catholics during the Reformation.

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adjective

1. for, during, belonging to, or connected with an intervening period of time; temporary; provisional.

   This is just an interim arrangement till office renovations are finished.

   She is the organization’s interim director while the board reviews applications for the role.

adverb

1. meanwhile.

interim ¹ British  

/ ˈɪntərɪm /

adjective

1. (prenominal) temporary, provisional, or intervening

   interim measures to deal with the emergency

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noun

1. the intervening time; the meantime (esp in the phrase in the interim )

adverb

1. rare meantime

Interim ² British  

/ ˈɪntərɪm /

noun

1. any of three provisional arrangements made during the Reformation by the German emperor and Diet to regulate religious differences between Roman Catholics and Protestants

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interim Idioms  

1. see in the interim.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• interims
  plural

Etymology

Origin of interim

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin: “in the meantime,” from inter “between” + -im, adverb suffix

Explanation

An interim is a period of time between one event and another. If a teacher leaves mid-year, there might be an interim teacher, one who takes over the class until a permanent replacement is hired. Interim is a Latin adverb meaning "in the meantime." The first part, inter means "between." Interim is the time between, and you can use it as a fancy way of referring to a time you squeeze something in. Maybe you get ice cream during the interim between school and piano lessons. This word is often used in official contexts — for example, after the CEO of a company steps down, an interim CEO might serve while a formal job search is conducted.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interim Interim interims

Travelodge interim chief executive Ray Reidy told the BBC the company was working with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust - a personal safety charity - to develop one.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

In the interim, Iñárritu kept developing the screenplay from something more realistic about Digger to a more heightened narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Attorney General's Office stated in a press release that, given Mariaca's "definitive absence," the next most senior public prosecutor, Luis Montano Morales, would replace him on an interim basis.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

On Wednesday, USC also named Megan Jordan, its interim chief communications officer since January, to the post permanently.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

We all sensed that in the interim Justice de Wet had grown more hostile to us.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Interim chairman Ian Tyler will take the role permanently, making him the company’s third chair in less than a year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez's government was represented at the talks by her brother Jorge Rodriguez, who is also the head of Venezuela's National Assembly.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Interim charges are lists of issues that the lieutenant governor and speaker give to their respective chamber’s committees to study during the period between legislative sessions.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

Interim manager Igor Tudor left the club after 44 days before De Zerbi took over with seven games of the season remaining.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

He found Oppie wracked with self-doubt and struggling to draft another communique for the Interim Committee.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Under BlueCo's leadership, Chelsea have won two major honours - the Conference League and Club World Cup - and have now reached three finals under eight managers, including caretakers and interims.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

The move starts the team’s never-ending coaching carousel — now up to 10 coaches, including interims, in Snyder’s 24 seasons.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2022

And no more Trojan interims like Clay Helton.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2021

Since Piniella’s departure for the Rays after the 2002, the Mariners went through six managers and two interims – none receiving a contract extension.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2021

But in the interims between these awakenings he slept profoundly, oblivious alike to discomfort and danger—as the dead sleep.

From The Promise A Tale of the Great Northwest by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx

Related Words

• provisional