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

The natural chaparral’s ability to quickly regrow has enabled such a quick fire return interval in the Santa Monica Mountains.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

The legendary Ferenc Puskas scored a first-half hat-trick for the Spaniards, but Eusebio netted twice after the interval to seal Benfica a second successive crown.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

To market these assets to retail investors, managers developed “semi-liquid” vehicles like interval funds and business development companies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The Apple Watch nudged me to “Go for it,” which was enough motivation to tackle a tough indoor interval workout on the bike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

The interval between B and D is a third.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

She can then control the intervals and make sure she has cash for large purchases if she wants it.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

Southern parts of England should stay largely dry with sunny intervals and it will feel particularly warm and humid with temperatures climbing into the mid-20s Celsius - several degrees above the September average.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

That includes set intervals between charging stations, similar siting of charging infrastructure and standards for installed chargers, among items outlined in a shared statement of principles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The researchers applied this pulse at different intervals after the first one and measured the energy and momentum of the expelled electrons.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

Again, these pitches are so closely related and sound so good together that their intervals have been named "perfect."

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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Related Words

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

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