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 of interruption

• 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

Mercury opposes hazy Neptune, making expectations unclear and interruptions harder to manage. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026

There is a sense of interruption throughout where the familiar is made slightly strange, and the unfinished is left intentionally exposed, giving the collections a setting that shifts with each new iteration. — Michael Anthony Hall, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Additionally, customers who experience more than six electric service interruptions of at least five minutes in 12 months will receive an outage credit. — Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Previous major El Niños have resulted in significant interruptions to the canal’s operations. — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interruption

• incorruption
• corruption
• disruption
• eruption
• irruption