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

When there must be some interlude of friction or a character needs to be brought low, The Gilded Age’s preferred mechanism is a dinner, ideally a fancy one with a complicated guest list and a variety of logistical obstacles. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

Discordant keys fly like daggers while snares trip over bass thuds; there’s a jazzy piano interlude, and then a murderous hard-rock siege razes the mix to the ground. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026

Marion and Sam’s relationship is framed as illicit; the film opens with the two of them in a hotel room, clearly post–romantic interlude, with Marion in her undergarments, though the couple is not married. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

What follows is a heady mixture of grief, desire, fantasy, and dance, complete with elaborate musical interludes and a delirious homage to Dirty Dancing. — Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 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