interstitial

adjective

in·​ter·​sti·​tial ˌin-tər-ˈsti-shəl How to pronounce interstitial (audio)
1
: occurring in or being an interval or intervening space or segment : of, relating to, or forming an interstice
an interstitial space
… the site has been running interstitial ads, which consist of a full page of advertising between editorial pages, for a little more than a year.Carl Sullivan
2
a
: situated within but not restricted to or characteristic of a particular organ or tissue
used especially of fibrous tissue
b
: affecting the interstitial tissues of an organ or part
interstitial cystitis
3
: being or relating to a crystalline compound in which usually small atoms or ions of a nonmetal occupy holes between the larger metal atoms or ions in the crystal lattice
interstitially adverb

Examples of interstitial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kanshi Iwasaki’s sound design, meanwhile, is tensely sparse and defined by absence, giving way to music only in interstitial montages of relentlessly forward-driving city life. Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 June 2025 Doctoring provides powerful tools for getting under the hood, but writing offers ones that dig into the interstitial spaces where our more utilitarian tools falter. Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025 And make sure to pay attention in the interstitial spaces filled with rotating art by local makers. Nevin Martell, USA Today, 27 May 2025 Traditional cable and satellite companies looking to fill unsold time have always resorted to interstitial cards or house ads for their own services. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for interstitial

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of interstitial was in 1646

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Interstitial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interstitial. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

interstitial

adjective
in·​ter·​sti·​tial ˌint-ər-ˈstish-əl How to pronounce interstitial (audio)
: relating to or located in the interstices
interstitially adverb

Medical Definition

interstitial

adjective
in·​ter·​sti·​tial ˌint-ər-ˈstish-əl How to pronounce interstitial (audio)
1
: situated within but not restricted to or characteristic of a particular organ or tissue
used especially of fibrous tissue
2
: affecting the interstitial tissues of an organ or part
interstitial hepatitis
3
: occurring in the part of a fallopian tube in the wall of the uterus
interstitial pregnancy
interstitially adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!