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 of interruption

• interval
• hiatus
• pause
• gap

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

The five original Nobel Prizes were created under the terms of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel’s will and have been awarded since 1901, with only limited interruptions, chiefly during World War I and World War II. — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Bagent, though, will also have to resist the urge to press on Sunday, an understandable temptation given the aggravating, albeit minor, interruptions to his growth over the past two months. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

And in the full sentence that is a school, curricular interruptions are security threats to the accreditation evaluation that protects the bottom line. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

During the second protester’s interruptions, Vance stressed the difference between Democrats and Republicans on issues such as policing and education. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interruption

• incorruption
• corruption
• disruption
• eruption
• irruption