interruption

noun

in·​ter·​rup·​tion ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-shən 

plural interruptions

1

: an act of interrupting something or someone or the state of being interrupted: such as

a

: a stoppage or hindering of an activity for a time

Our conversation continued without interruption for over an hour.

b

: a break in the continuity of something

Internet service interruptions

2

: something that causes a stoppage or break in the continuity of something

a rude interruption

watching television without commercial interruptions

Synonyms

• discontinuity
• gap
• hiatus
• hiccup
• hiccough
• interim
• interlude
• intermission
• interregnum
• interstice
• interval
• parenthesis

Examples of interruption in a Sentence

an interruption in cable service during the lightning storm

a brief interruption in the discussion while we all got coffee

Recent Examples on the Web

This discrepancy is due in part to significantly lower lifetime earnings, as well as potential factors like career interruptions for caregiving or a tendency and/or need for some to prioritize family needs over personal savings. —Paula Thielen, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

The site indicated the interruptions had been occurring since at least 9 a.m. ET. —Rob Wile, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025

Four transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area showed no signs of interruptions or anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire's start time, the utility told the California Public Utilities Commission in an incident report. —Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2025

The company states in the notice that preliminary analysis of electrical circuit information for transmission lines in the area showed no interruptions or anomalies until more than an hour after the Eaton fire started. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1