interval
noun
in·ter·val
ˈin-tər-vəl 
plural intervals
1
a
: a space of time between events or states
a two-month interval between medical treatments
There were long intervals during the game in which nothing exciting happened.
b
British
: intermission
There was a twenty minute interval between acts two and three.
2
: the difference in pitch between two tones
3
: a space between objects, units, points, or states
The posts were set up at regular intervals along the road.
4
: one of a series of fast-paced or intense physical exercises alternated with slower or less intense ones or brief rests for training (as of an athlete) see also interval training
5
: a set of real numbers between two numbers either including or excluding one or both of them
Examples of interval in a Sentence
a three-month interval between jobs
There might be long intervals during which nothing happens.
The sun shone for brief intervals throughout the day.
There will be a 20-minute interval between acts one and two.
Recent Examples on the Web
The closure had prompted bigger queues — at one stage 100 people that had left the game during the interval were waiting and some gave up and got taxis home.
—
Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Not only was that the natural way to tell the story from his perspective as a narrator, aware of the tragic events, but that was also a way to grab the audience’s attention, hence his decision as well to insert reminders of the tragedy through the voice over at various intervals.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
Nielsen notes that the new episodes accounted for 78% of Reacher’s total viewing time this interval, and that 58% of the Dad TV drama’s viewers were male (the largest makeup of all Top 10 titles this week).
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 20 Mar. 2025
The Robert DeNiro-starrer Zero Day debuted during this interval, soaring to the top spot with 1.84B minutes viewed.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interval
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Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Not only was that the natural way to tell the story from his perspective as a narrator, aware of the tragic events, but that was also a way to grab the audience’s attention, hence his decision as well to insert reminders of the tragedy through the voice over at various intervals.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
Nielsen notes that the new episodes accounted for 78% of Reacher’s total viewing time this interval, and that 58% of the Dad TV drama’s viewers were male (the largest makeup of all Top 10 titles this week).
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 20 Mar. 2025
The Robert DeNiro-starrer Zero Day debuted during this interval, soaring to the top spot with 1.84B minutes viewed.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interval
Cite this Entry
“Interval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interval. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
interval
noun
in·ter·val
ˈint-ər-vəl
1
: a period of time between events or states : pause
a three-month interval
the interval between elections
2
: a space between things
the interval between two desks
3
: difference in pitch between tones
Medical Definition
interval
noun
in·ter·val
ˈint-ər-vəl
: a space of time between events or states
intervals between pregnancies
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