interlude

play

noun in·ter·lude \ ˈin-tər-ˌlüd \

Definition of interlude

1 :a usually short simple play or dramatic entertainment

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

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

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See interlude defined for kids

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 of interlude from the Web

Each featured an instrumental interlude that showed the skills of the team.

— bill thompson, Cincinnati.com, "Tedeschi Trucks Band and friends make a great team," 22 July 2017
And if The Force Awakens, released one year earlier at the end of 2015, was a welcome, recognizable riff on the old familiar winning Star Wars theme, Rogue One is a fleeting minor-key interlude.

— ashley fetters, GQ, "The Most Misunderstood Star Wars Movie Is Now on Netflix," 18 July 2017
Despite the toxic military interlude, much living goes on out there, from sea sponges to swamp rabbits, amid brackish lagoons, pine flats and reedy wetlands.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "Walter Anderson's Horn Island off Mississippi remains a 'natural reality'," 4 July 2017
In turn, Miller and company brought the party hits, prepared with tasty jazz interludes sprinkled across the set.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 5: Pink, Steve Miller Band return to town in style," 3 July 2017
The quaint interludes between balls regularly put in play have become yawning gaps of nothingness.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "Baseball's pressing question: What happens to a sport when nothing happens?," 21 June 2017
The brief interludes allow conversation among friends, a pondering of the strategies and outcomes that may come next, and the hope—with caps turned backward and inside out—for the greatest excitement the game can allow, the extended rally.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "Baseball's pressing question: What happens to a sport when nothing happens?," 21 June 2017
Their current tour features almost two hours of comedy, along with musical interludes from Martin and his Grammy Award-wining bluegrass band, The Steep Canyon Rangers.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Steve Martin and Martin Short talk comedy, trade insults and recall their worst gigs ever," 17 June 2017
Indicating how closely their lives are intertwined and the strength of their bond, Antonoff used an audio recording of Dunham recovering from surgery (related to her endometriosis) in the hospital for an interlude on his album.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Misunderstand Jack Antonoff, Millennial-Pop Svengali, at Your Own Peril," 15 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interlude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of interlude

Middle English enterlude, from Medieval Latin interludium, from Latin inter- + ludus play — more at ludicrous

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

interlude Synonyms

Synonyms

discontinuity, hiatus, hiccup (also hiccough), interim, gap, intermission, interregnum, interruption, interstice, interval, parenthesis

Antonyms

continuation, continuity

Related Words

caesura, comma, interspace, lag, pause, space, time lag, window; entr'acte; bumper; adjournment, discontinuance, lapse, suspension; lull, recess, respite, rest; subinterval

Near Antonyms

continuum, run, stretch; procession, progression

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

INTERLUDE Defined for English Language Learners

interlude

play

noun

Definition of interlude for English Language Learners

: a period of time between events or activities
: a brief romantic or sexual meeting or relationship
: a short piece of music that is played between the parts of a longer one, a drama, or a religious service