interregnum

noun

in·​ter·​reg·​num ˌin-tə-ˈreg-nəm How to pronounce interregnum (audio)
plural interregnums or interregna ˌin-tə-ˈreg-nə How to pronounce interregnum (audio)
1
: the time during which a throne is vacant between two successive reigns or regimes
2
: a period during which the normal functions of government or control are suspended
3
: a lapse or pause in a continuous series

Did you know?

Every time a pope dies, there's an interregnum period before a new one is elected by the cardinals. In most democratic systems, however, the law specifies who should take office when a president or prime minister dies unexpectedly, and since the power usually passes automatically, there's no true interregnum. The question of succession—that is, of who should take over when a country's leader dies—has often presented huge problems for countries that lacked a constitution, and in monarchies it hasn't always been clear who should become king or queen when a monarch dies. The interregnum following the death of Edward VI in 1553, for instance, was briefly suspended when Lady Jane Grey was installed as Queen; nine days later she was replaced by Mary Tudor, who sent her straight to the Tower of London.

Examples of interregnum in a Sentence

the democratic regime proved to be a short-lived interregnum between dictatorships
Recent Examples on the Web The motion picture industry first moved aggressively into polemical territory during the prewar interregnum from 1939 to 1941, when Europe was at war but America wasn’t. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024 Today, after a four-year neoliberal interregnum, Peronism is again on the rise. Bruno Binetti, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2019 Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and placeholder for Putin during a four-year interregnum, was characteristically militant in his comments on the tragedy. Nathan Hodge, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024 In 2020, after an 800-year interregnum, parts of the land started shaking, quaking and inflating, signifying the incursion of magma from deep below. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for interregnum 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interregnum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from inter- + regnum reign — more at reign

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of interregnum was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near interregnum

Cite this Entry

“Interregnum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interregnum. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

interregnum

noun
in·​ter·​reg·​num ˌint-ə-ˈreg-nəm How to pronounce interregnum (audio)
plural interregnums or interregna -nə How to pronounce interregnum (audio)
: a period between two successive reigns or regimes

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