intermission
Americannoun
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intermissions
plural
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a short interval between the acts of a play or parts of a public performance, usually a period of approximately 10 or 15 minutes, allowing the performers and audience a rest.
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a period during which action temporarily ceases; an interval between periods of action or activity.
They studied for hours without an intermission.
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the act or fact of intermitting; state of being intermitted.
to work without intermission.
noun
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an interval, as between parts of a film
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a period between events or activities; pause
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the act of intermitting or the state of being intermitted
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of intermission
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin intermissiōn- (stem of intermissiō ) interruption, equivalent to intermiss ( us ) (past participle of intermittere to intermit ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The lengthy pause in the middle of a play or concert is called an intermission. If you're hungry, you might have time to grab a snack during the intermission. The word intermission has a Latin root, intermissionem, "a breaking off or interruption." Originally, it meant any temporary pause, but by the 1850s it was often used in reference to breaks between acts in theatrical performances. In the UK, this is known as an "interval," but in North America, theater and concert attendees wait until the intermission to use the restroom.
Vocabulary lists containing intermission
Reading: Literature - Drama - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Drama - Middle School
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Blasted to Smithereens: Synonyms for "Break"
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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.
See Examples For:
"Oil has pushed higher, Asian equities are softer, and suddenly the brief Friday reprieve in global fixed income looks more like an intermission than the end of the show."
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Absent an intermission, the tension might grow tauter more consistently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
With some judicious excisions of aria sections, the opera ran 2 1/2 hours with one intermission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
When: Through June 21 Tickets: $49-$440 Running time: About 2 hours, 50 minutes, with one intermission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
And during the intermissions—there was always an intermission of ten minutes halfway through the concert—he delivered short talks on musical appreciation to the audiences.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
“Othello,” which runs 134 minutes with two intermissions, feels weighed down by overwrought dramatic gestures enacting Shakespeare’s tragic narrative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
When: Through March 22 Tickets: $33.50-$415 Running time: About 3 hours, 40 minutes, with 2 intermissions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026
Its run time: intimidating, stretching well over three hours with two intermissions.
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024
New York City Ballet’s 2024-25 season will feature earlier curtain times, fewer intermissions and a tribute to the great American ballerina Maria Tallchief, the company announced on Monday.
From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024
My sisters and I had watched the program every Saturday afternoon, our gasbag of a collie imposing frequent intermissions.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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