interregnum

noun

in·​ter·​reg·​num ˌin-tə-ˈreg-nəm 

plural interregnums or interregna ˌin-tə-ˈreg-nə 

1

: the time during which a throne is vacant between two successive reigns or regimes

broadly : a period during which a leadership role is vacant

a papal interregnum

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.

Synonyms

• discontinuity
• gap
• hiatus
• hiccup
• hiccough
• interim
• interlude
• intermission
• interruption
• interstice
• interval
• parenthesis

Examples of interregnum in a Sentence

the democratic regime proved to be a short-lived interregnum between dictatorships

Recent Examples on the Web

During his four-year interregnum at Mar-a-Lago, Trump gazed down the fairways and concluded that Joe Biden was too diminished to win again. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025

The conclave assembles during the interregnum, which is the time period that begins upon the pontiff's passing and ends with the election of his successor, and generally convenes between 15 and 20 days after the pope's death. —Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025

But if charity in the days after death requires us to be respectful, the period of interregnum also requires clarity and truth. —The Editors, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025

Ever since the end of World War II, a long parade of American presidents saw first the Soviet Union and then, after a brief and illusory interregnum, its successor Russia as a force to be wary of, at the very least. —Peter Baker, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interregnum

• regnum

Kids Definition

interregnum

noun

in·​ter·​reg·​num ˌint-ə-ˈreg-nəm 

plural interregnums or interregna -nə 

: a period between two successive reigns or regimes