name · noun · 7 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪntəˈɹɛɡnəm/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌɪntəɹˈɹɛɡnəm/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛɡnəm
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪntəˈɹɛɡnə/
General-American:/ˌɪntəɹˈɹɛɡnə/
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N T ER0 R EH1 G N AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
Ellipsis of British Interregnum, the period of 1649–1660 when an unmonarchical state ruled Britain; the monarchy was then restored.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Examples
Meronyms: Commonwealth; Commonwealth of England; Protectorate; Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A period of time between the end of one monarch's reign and the accession of their successor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The Sasanian Interregnum of 628–632
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A break in continuity; a gap, an intermission.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
A period of time between when a minister or pastor leaves a church and when a new one is installed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A period of time between the end of one political leader's term and the start of the term of their successor; a period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended, and a polity is either left without leadership or has only a temporary one.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A temporary exercise of authority or rule during a period of time when there is no monarch or political leader.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
the time between two reigns, governments, etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: interim, meantime, meanwhile, lag
History
Etymology
Proprialization from interregnum.
Learned borrowing from Latin interrēgnum, from inter- (prefix meaning ‘between’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h1entér (“between”)) + rēgnum (“reign; royal power”) (nominalized from the neuter of *rēgnus, from rēx (“king; ruler”, oblique stem rēg-) + -nus (suffix forming adjectives), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h3reǵ- (“to righten; to straighten”)). The plural form interregna is a learned borrowing from Latin interrēgna.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
فَتْرَة
(fatra)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Bulgarian:
междуцарствие
(mežducarstvie)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Catalan:
interregne
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Chinese Mandarin:
改朝换代
(gǎicháohuàndài)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Czech:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Dutch:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Finnish:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
French:
interrègne
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Georgian:
უმეფობა
(umepoba)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Georgian:
უმეფობის ხანა
(umepobis xana)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Georgian:
მეფეთაშორისი ხანა
(mepetašorisi xana)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
German:
Interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Greek:
μεσοβασιλεία
(mesovasileía)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Ancient Greek:
μεσοβασιλεία
(mesobasileía)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Indonesian:
interegnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Italian:
interregno
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Latin:
interrēgnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Norwegian Bokmål:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Norwegian Nynorsk:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Polish:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Polish:
bezkrólewie
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Polish:
międzykrólewie
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Portuguese:
interregno
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Russian:
междуца́рствие
(mežducárstvije)
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Scottish Gaelic:
eadar-riaghladh
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Scottish Gaelic:
eadar-rìoghachd
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Serbo-Croatian:
интеррѐгнум
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Serbo-Croatian:
interrègnum
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Serbo-Croatian:
međuvlašće
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Spanish:
interregno
— period of time between the end of one monarch’s reign and the accession of their successor
Finnish:
epäjatkuvuus
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
Finnish:
välitila
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
German:
Pause
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
German:
Unterbrechung
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
Indonesian:
interegnum
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
Serbo-Croatian:
интеррѐгнум
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
Serbo-Croatian:
interrègnum
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
Serbo-Croatian:
međuvlašće
— break in continuity — see also gap, intermission
Finnish:
interregnum
— period of time between when a minister or pastor leaves a church and when a new one is installed
Bulgarian:
безвластие
(bezvlastie)
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Chinese Mandarin:
改朝换代
(gǎicháohuàndài)
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Finnish:
hallituspula
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Indonesian:
interegnum
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Polish:
interregnum
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Polish:
bezkrólewie
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Serbo-Croatian:
интеррѐгнум
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Serbo-Croatian:
interrègnum
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
Serbo-Croatian:
međuvlašće
— period of time between the end of one political leader’s term and the start of the term of their successor; period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended
