interlude

noun

in·​ter·​lude ˈin-tər-ˌlüd 

1

: an intervening or interruptive period, space, or event : interval

2

: a musical composition inserted between the parts of a longer composition, a drama, or a religious service

3

: a usually short simple play or dramatic entertainment

Synonyms of interlude

• interval
• interruption
• hiatus
• pause
• gap
• intermission

Examples of interlude in a Sentence

She left for a brief interlude.

He has resumed his acting career after a two-year interlude.

They always met in the city for their romantic interludes.

a drama with musical interludes

Recent Examples on the Web

In a series of video interludes that break up the performance into acts, Grande plays Peaches, a woman who wants to undergo a procedure to erase her painful memories. — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Villalobos’ career spans thirty years in the school district with a brief interlude in the private sector, working for education technology companies. — Austin Horn july 30, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Desperate struggles against the encroaching elements become a brief interlude before the situation unravels into a disaster of a different magnitude. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

These desperate struggles against the encroaching elements are merely a brief interlude before the situation unravels into a disaster of an entirely different magnitude. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enterlude "dramatic entertainment," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French entreludie, borrowed from Medieval Latin interlūdium, from Latin inter- inter- + lūdus "play, game" (derivative of lūdere "to play") + -ium, suffix of compound nouns — more at ludicrous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for interlude

• altitude
• amplitude
• aptitude
• attitude
• barbecued
• certitude
• desuetude
• devalued
• finitude
• fortitude
• gratitude
• interviewed

Kids Definition

interlude

noun

in·​ter·​lude ˈint-ər-ˌlüd 

1

: a performance between the acts of a play

2

: an intervening period, space, or event : interval

3

: a musical composition inserted between the parts of a longer one, a drama, or a religious service