interruption

noun

in·​ter·​rup·​tion ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce interruption (audio)
plural interruptions
1
: an act of interrupting something or someone or the state of being interrupted: such as
a
: a stoppage or hindering of an activity for a time
Our conversation continued without interruption for over an hour.
b
: a break in the continuity of something
Internet service interruptions
2
: something that causes a stoppage or break in the continuity of something
a rude interruption
watching television without commercial interruptions

Examples of interruption in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After the brief interruption, the ladies were able to continue their conversation. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023 The interruption did not seem to deter the climate activist, though, as she was later seen dancing behind stage as a band played music. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 13 Nov. 2023 Modern life is reliant on space technologies to an extent that an interruption would create profound economic and social distress. Jon Gertner, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023 Bringing the film to completion was a long journey, marred by funding challenges in Greece, the dramatic interruption of the coronavirus pandemic and the very nature of the script itself. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Nov. 2023 The service interruption comes as downtown shops, restaurants and arts centers have been battered by the pandemic and office vacancies, while Metro says the low number of commuters over the holiday period will bring the least disruption. Justin George, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 The orders to evacuate Al-Quds Hospital come amid a mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where most residents have been living without power, access to fresh water or food and cut off from the rest of the world due to internet service interruptions. Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2023 Drew Angerer / Getty Images Throughout the interruptions, Blinken continued to outline the Biden administration's request for aid. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2023 Adding this to your reservation gives you coverage for a covered trip cancellation or interruption, along with travel delay expenses. Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interruption.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near interruption

Cite this Entry

“Interruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interruption. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on interruption

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