intercept

1 of 2

verb

in·​ter·​cept ˌin-tər-ˈsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
intercepted; intercepting; intercepts

transitive verb

1
a
: to stop, seize, or interrupt in progress or course or before arrival
b
: to receive (a communication or signal directed elsewhere) usually secretly
2
a
: to gain possession of (an opponent's pass)
b
: to intercept a pass thrown by (an opponent)
3
: to include (part of a curve, surface, or solid) between two points, curves, or surfaces
the part of a circumference intercepted between two radii
4
obsolete : prevent, hinder
5
obsolete : to interrupt communication or connection with

intercept

2 of 2

noun

in·​ter·​cept ˈin-tər-ˌsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
1
: the distance from the origin to a point where a graph crosses a coordinate axis
2
: interception
especially : the interception of a missile by an interceptor or of a target by a missile
3
: a message, code, or signal that is intercepted (as by monitoring radio communications)

Did you know?

Since the prefix inter means "between", it's not hard to see how intercept was created. Arms shipments coming to a country are sometimes intercepted, but such interceptions can sometimes be understood as acts of war. In football, soccer, and basketball, players try to intercept the ball as it's being passed by the other team. In years gone by, letters and documents being carried between officers or officials were sometimes intercepted when the carrier was caught; today, when these communications are generally electronic, an intercepted email isn't actually stopped, but simply read secretly by a third party.

Examples of intercept in a Sentence

Verb Detectives have been intercepting her mail. The police intercepted him as he was walking out.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Diggs made one tackle, intercepted one pass and broke up another one. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023 Miguel DeJesus and Devin Harding, Holliston — In a 29-6 win over Middleborough, DeJesus, a senior defensive back, intercepted two passes and added two tackles for loss and eight solo tackles. Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023 Later in the quarter, Javier intercepted Taylor again, and seven plays and 22 yards later, Vaughan kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Towson a 20-0 lead at halftime. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2023 In August, Russian military members forcefully boarded a commercial ship in the Black Sea, in what appears to be the first time Russia has carried out its vow to intercept ships in the waterway. Gaya Gupta, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2023 Quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed fewer than half his passes (16 of 34) and had three intercepted last weekend. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Air Force One left Alaska on Monday afternoon without incident. Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the way flares are used by NORAD jets intercepting aircraft. Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2023 The people believed to be involved in the theft have already been arrested and convicted, after the police intercepted their encrypted communications, Brand said. Robert Higgs, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 Key developments Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted two drones over the Kaluga and Tver regions outside Moscow and another over the Istra district, closer to the city. Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Noun
State commit Ronnie Royal intercepts UMS QB Joe Lott and returns it 78 yards for a critical touchdown. Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 15 Sep. 2023 The missile initially arcs on an intercept course making course corrections radio-transmitted by the battery. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 30 Aug. 2023 Waubonsie Valley 1-0 (NR) Junior defensive back Josh Hung intercepts pair of passes, both tipped, to help Warriors. 9. Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 Surveillance, intercepts and other steps led to additional members and cells. Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023 That requires both pre-positioning the boats close to likely transit routes and maintaining the maritime surveillance capability to precisely locate Russian ships and plot an intercept. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 Aug. 2023 Serbia’s former interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, said as much, asserting that the arrest was made possible by Sky intercepts. Robert F. Worth, New York Times, 3 May 2023 How the government can use its database of intercepts that have been already collected when scrutinizing Americans has been a subject of heated debate. Charlie Savage, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2023 In the days after the March 3 shootings, the criminal organization braced for retaliation from Mexican security forces, and its attorneys urged cartel members to delete information about the Americans from their phones, according to the U.S. intercepts. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intercept.' 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

Verb

Middle English, from Latin interceptus, past participle of intercipere, from inter- + capere to take, seize — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of intercept was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near intercept

Cite this Entry

“Intercept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intercept. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

intercept

1 of 2 verb
in·​ter·​cept ˌint-ər-ˈsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
1
: to take or seize on the way to or before arrival
intercept a letter
intercept a pass
2
: to include (part of a line, surface, or solid) between two points, curves, or surfaces
a line intercepted between points A and B
interception
-ˈsep-shən
noun

intercept

2 of 2 noun
in·​ter·​cept ˈint-ər-ˌsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
: the distance from the origin of a coordinate system to a point where a graph (as of a line) crosses a coordinate axis
Etymology

Verb

from Latin interceptus, past participle of intercipere "to take or hinder in the course of," from inter- "between, in the course of" and cipere, a form of capere "to take, seize" — related to capture, except

Legal Definition

intercept

transitive verb
in·​ter·​cept
: to receive (a communication or signal directed elsewhere) usually secretly
shall not be unlawful…for a person not acting under color of law to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication where such person is a party to the communicationU.S. Code
interception noun

More from Merriam-Webster on intercept

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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