interregnum

[ in-ter-reg-nuhm ]

See synonyms for interregnum on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural in·ter·reg·nums, in·ter·reg·na

[in-ter-reg-nuh]. /ˌɪn tərˈrɛg nə/.

an interval of time between the close of a sovereign's reign and the accession of their normal or legitimate successor.
any period during which a state has no ruler or only a temporary executive.

any period of freedom from the usual authority.
any pause or interruption in continuity.

Origin of interregnum

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin; originally “the period between the death of the old king and the accession of the new one,” equivalent to inter- preposition and prefix + regnum “office or power of a king, kingship, kingdom”; see origin at inter-, reign

Other words from interregnum

in·ter·reg·nal, adjective

Words Nearby interregnum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use interregnum in a sentence

So what you have is that strange interregnum, where people are queueing around the corner.
“I’ve Been Working My Ass Off for You to Make that Profit?” (Ep. 485) | Stephen J. Dubner | December 9, 2021 | Freakonomics
Nearly every state is currently reporting mortality figures resembling the interregnum last summer or last October, between peaks that began in June and again in the fall.
Is the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Working? We're Not Sure Yet | Chris Wilson | April 8, 2021 | Time
The researchers noticed that one colony’s chirps began to vary in the interregnum after their queen died, only to fall in line with a new monarch’s dialect when she took the throne.
Like humans, naked mole-rats have regional accents | Rahul Rao | February 25, 2021 | Popular-Science
Costner was an earnest man for an earnest time: the patriotic, self-serious interregnum between Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
Are We in the Midst of a Kevin Costner Comeback? | Andrew Romano | January 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Most comically of all, I will never forget the brief Al-Sharpton-has-been-redeemed interregnum.
Murdoch’s American Scandals | Michael Tomasky | July 18, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

Throughout the bitter four-month interregnum, President Herbert Hoover had tried to get FDR to endorse joint policy statements.
What Obama and McCain Can Learn From FDR | Harold Evans | October 10, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST
The establishment of a British Consulate there, after a long interregnum, was either the cause or excuse for an outbreak.
The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
Thus the Civil War and the interregnum (1642-60) may be regarded as marking a watershed in the financial history of the country.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 4 | Various
I do pity you, with the drunken Christmas workmen keeping you in this uncomfortable interregnum.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. I (of 3) | George Eliot
Moreover, the severest prohibitions were naturally mitigated during an interregnum.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Vol 2 | J. H. Merle D'Aubign
Thus did the hours creep on until darkness with its interregnum of peace had fallen on the city.
The Siege of Kimberley | T. Phelan

British Dictionary definitions for interregnum

interregnum

/ (ˌɪntəˈrɛɡnəm) /

nounplural -nums or -na (-nə)

an interval between two reigns, governments, incumbencies, etc
any period in which a state lacks a ruler, government, etc

a period of absence of some control, authority, etc
a gap in a continuity

Origin of interregnum

C16: from Latin, from inter- + regnum reign

Derived forms of interregnum

interregnal, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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