interlude
Americannoun
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an intervening episode, period, space, etc.
- Synonyms:
- pause, intermission, respite, interval
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a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments.
-
one of the early English farces or comedies, as those written by John Heywood, which grew out of such pieces.
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any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play.
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an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.
noun
-
a period of time or different activity between longer periods, processes, or events; episode or interval
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theatre a short dramatic piece played separately or as part of a longer entertainment, common in 16th-century England
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a brief piece of music, dance, etc, given between the sections of another performance
Other Word Forms
- interludial adjective
Etymology
Origin of interlude
1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin interlūdium, equivalent to Latin inter- inter- + lūd ( us ) play + -ium -ium
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s too early to tell, of course, whether these deals mark a lasting peace or a brief interlude before fighting resumes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Later, after a chaotic interlude of rebel rule and an uncertain transition, he was elected head of state as a post-conflict and consensual civil-society figure.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025
One more brief, explosive interlude later, Ilya blurts out Shane’s name, and for the first time in all the years they’ve circled each other.
From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025
The military ruled Myanmar for most of its post-independence history before a 10-year interlude saw a civilian government take the reins in a burst of optimism and reform.
From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025
Actually, I’m what a romantic movie is to a profound thinker—a mere diversion, a comic interlude, something that is soon forgotten: not bad, but not particularly good either.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
