interruption

noun

in·​ter·​rup·​tion ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-shən 

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

Synonyms

• interval
• hiatus
• pause
• gap

Examples of interruption in a Sentence

an interruption in cable service during the lightning storm

a brief interruption in the discussion while we all got coffee

Recent Examples on the Web

The result is an environment where curiosity is unintentionally treated as an interruption instead of an asset. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

That contrasts with semi-automatic rifles, which allow the shooter to pull the trigger and quickly fire again without interruption. —Davis Winkie, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

Customers who endure more than six sustained power interruptions longer than 5 minutes in one year are also eligible for the $42 outage credit. —Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Duration of sleep counts for 50 of the possible 100 points, while consistency and interruptions count for 25 points each. —Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interruption

• incorruption
• corruption
• disruption
• eruption
• irruption