Standard Lemma guide

intermission

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ɪntɚˈmɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N T ER0 M IH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A break, especially between two performances or sessions, such as at a concert, play, seminar, or religious assembly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We ordered some drinks for the intermission.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the act of suspending activity temporarily

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pause

3

noun

Meaning 3

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pause, break, interruption, suspension

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time interval, interval

Narrower terms: lapse, blackout, caesura, dead air, delay, hold, time lag, postponement, wait, halftime, respite, rest, relief, rest period, time-out, letup, lull

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Indo-European *h1entér Proto-Italic *n̥ter Latin inter Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth2- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *méyth2eti Proto-Italic *meitō Old Latin mītō Latin mittō Latin intermittō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin intermissiōder. English intermission Derived from Latin intermissiō, from intermittō (“interrupt, omit”) + -tiō.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: فاصِل (fāṣil) — break between performances or sessions
  • Armenian: դադար (dadar) — break between performances or sessions
  • Bulgarian: пауза (pauza) — break between performances or sessions
  • Catalan: intermedi — break between performances or sessions
  • Czech: přestávka — break between performances or sessions
  • Esperanto: interakto — break between performances or sessions
  • Finnish: väliaika — break between performances or sessions
  • French: intermède — break between performances or sessions
  • French: interlude — break between performances or sessions
  • French: entracte — break between performances or sessions
  • German: Unterbrechung — break between performances or sessions
  • German: Pause — break between performances or sessions
  • Hindi: मध्यांतर (madhyāntar) — break between performances or sessions
  • Hindi: अंतराल (antrāl) — break between performances or sessions
  • Hungarian: szünet — break between performances or sessions
  • Icelandic: hlé — break between performances or sessions
  • Icelandic: hvíld — break between performances or sessions
  • Icelandic: aflát — break between performances or sessions
  • Indonesian: intermeso — break between performances or sessions
  • Indonesian: selingan — break between performances or sessions
  • Italian: intervallo — break between performances or sessions
  • Italian: pausa — break between performances or sessions
  • Italian: intermezzo — break between performances or sessions
  • Italian: intermedio — break between performances or sessions
  • Latin: intermissiō — break between performances or sessions
  • Latin: intercapedō — break between performances or sessions
  • Latin: dīlūdium — break between performances or sessions
  • Malayalam: ഇടവേള (iṭavēḷa) — break between performances or sessions
  • Mirandese: anterbalo — break between performances or sessions
  • Polish: antrakt — break between performances or sessions
  • Portuguese: intervalo — break between performances or sessions
  • Portuguese: intermissão — break between performances or sessions
  • Russian: антра́кт (antrákt) — break between performances or sessions
  • Russian: переры́в (pererýv) — break between performances or sessions
  • Russian: па́уза (páuza) — break between performances or sessions
  • Russian: переме́на (pereména) — break between performances or sessions
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar-ùine — break between performances or sessions
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar-àm — break between performances or sessions
  • Spanish: intermisión — break between performances or sessions
  • Spanish: intermedio — break between performances or sessions
  • Swedish: paus — break between performances or sessions
  • Tagalog: entreakto — break between performances or sessions
  • Tamil: இடைவெளி (iṭaiveḷi) — break between performances or sessions
  • Turkish: ara — break between performances or sessions