interstitial

adjective

in·​ter·​sti·​tial ˌin-tər-ˈsti-shəl 

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

ˌin-tər-ˈsti-shə-lē 

adverb

Examples of interstitial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Minimally invasive procedures, such as laser interstitial thermal therapy, also known as LITT, allow a far smaller hole to be made in the skull. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 10 Dec. 2024

Rose Dasgupta, 34, regularly gets bladder instillations to treat interstitial cystitis, a chronic condition that causes bladder pain. —Julia Ries, SELF, 4 Dec. 2024

In his view, interstitial lactate is ideal for monitoring intensity during training, and for pacing during competition. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 Nov. 2024

Indirect revenue increased by 42.5% to $12.4 million, primarily from growth in interstitial advertising. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

interstitial

adjective

in·​ter·​sti·​tial ˌint-ər-ˈstish-əl 

: relating to or located in the interstices

interstitially

-ˈstish-ə-lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

interstitial

adjective

in·​ter·​sti·​tial ˌint-ər-ˈstish-əl 

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

-ə-lē 

adverb