Standard Lemma guide

interval

noun · 11 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: /ˈɪntəvəʊ/
  • General-American: /ˈɪntɚvəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 N T ER0 V AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A distance in space.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A period of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the interval between contractions during childbirth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The difference (a ratio or logarithmic measure) in pitch between two notes, often referring to those two pitches themselves (otherwise known as a dyad).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A connected section of the real line which may be empty or have a length of zero.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An intermission.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: India, UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

half time, a scheduled intermission between the periods of play.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Either of the two breaks, at lunch and tea, between the three sessions of a day's play.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, cricket, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

the distance between things

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • fragile items require separation and cushioning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: distance

Narrower terms: clearance

9

noun

Meaning 9

a set containing all points (or all real numbers) between two given endpoints

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: set

Narrower terms: closed interval, bounded interval, open interval, unbounded interval, sub-interval

10

noun

Meaning 10

the difference in pitch between two notes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: musical interval

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: musical notation

Narrower terms: tone, whole tone, step, whole step, semitone, half step, quarter tone, quarter-tone, octave, musical octave, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh

11

noun

Meaning 11

a definite length of time marked off by two instants

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: time interval

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: measure, quantity, amount

Narrower terms: access time, distance, space, embolism, intercalation, seek time, time constant, time slot, slot, lunitidal interval, absence, pause, intermission, break, interruption, suspension, interlude, interim, meantime, meanwhile, lag, latent period, reaction time, response time, latency, eternity, cycle, rhythm, round, lead time, period, float, rotational latency, processing time

History

Etymology

From Middle English interval, intervalle, from Old French intervalle, entreval, from Latin intervallum (“space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference; literally, space between two palisades or walls”), from inter (“between”) + vallum (“palisade, wall”).

Across languages

Translations

175 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: ара (ara) — distance in space
  • Arabic: فَاصِل (fāṣil) — distance in space
  • Asturian: intervalu — distance in space
  • Azerbaijani: aralıq — distance in space
  • Belarusian: інтэрва́л (intervál) — distance in space
  • Belarusian: праме́жак (pramjéžak) — distance in space
  • Bulgarian: разстоя́ние (razstojánie) — distance in space
  • Bulgarian: промежду́тък (promeždútǎk) — distance in space
  • Bulgarian: интерва́л (intervál) — distance in space
  • Catalan: interval — distance in space
  • Chinese Mandarin: 間隔 /间隔 (jiàngé) — distance in space
  • Chinese Mandarin: 間隙 /间隙 (jiànxì) — distance in space
  • Czech: interval — distance in space
  • Dutch: interval — distance in space
  • Estonian: vahemik — distance in space
  • Finnish: välimatka — distance in space
  • French: intervalle — distance in space
  • Galician: intervalo — distance in space
  • Georgian: დაშორება (dašoreba) — distance in space
  • Georgian: მანძილი (manʒili) — distance in space
  • German: Abstand — distance in space
  • German: Zwischenraum — distance in space
  • Greek: απόσταση (apóstasi) — distance in space
  • Ancient Greek: διάλειμμα (diáleimma) — distance in space
  • Gujarati: મધ્યાંતર (madhyāntar) — distance in space
  • Hindi: अंतराल (antrāl) — distance in space
  • Hungarian: köz — distance in space
  • Hungarian: térköz — distance in space
  • Hungarian: távolság — distance in space
  • Hungarian: táv — distance in space
  • Indonesian: lat — distance in space
  • Indonesian: selang — distance in space
  • Italian: intervallo — distance in space
  • Japanese: 間隔 (kankaku) — distance in space
  • Kannada: ಮಧ್ಯಂತರ (madhyantara) — distance in space
  • Korean: 간격 (gan'gyeok) — distance in space
  • Latin: intervallum — distance in space
  • Lithuanian: tarpas — distance in space
  • Macedonian: растојание (rastojanie) — distance in space
  • Macedonian: меѓупростор (meǵuprostor) — distance in space
  • Malay: jeda — distance in space
  • Māori: mokowā — distance in space
  • Māori: mokorawhā — distance in space
  • Māori: āpuru — distance in space
  • Norwegian Bokmål: intervall — distance in space
  • Persian: بازه (bâze) — distance in space
  • Polish: interwał — distance in space
  • Polish: odstęp — distance in space
  • Portuguese: intervalo — distance in space
  • Romanian: interval — distance in space
  • Romanian: distanță — distance in space
  • Russian: интерва́л (intɛrvál) — distance in space
  • Russian: промежу́ток (promežútok) — distance in space
  • Russian: расстоя́ние (rasstojánije) — distance in space
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar-thamall — distance in space
  • Spanish: intervalo — distance in space
  • Tagalog: patlang — distance in space
  • Tamil: இடைவெளி (iṭaiveḷi) — distance in space
  • Thai: ช่วง (chûuang) — distance in space
  • Thai: ระยะ (rá-yá) — distance in space
  • Turkish: ara — distance in space
  • Ottoman Turkish: آرا (ara) — distance in space
  • Ottoman Turkish: آرالق (aralık) — distance in space
  • Ottoman Turkish: خلال (hilal) — distance in space
  • Ottoman Turkish: مابین (mabeyin) — distance in space
  • Ukrainian: інтерва́л (intervál) — distance in space
  • Ukrainian: промі́жок (promížok) — distance in space
  • Venetan: tòco — distance in space
  • Venetan: tòch — distance in space
  • Venetan: toco — distance in space
  • Arabic: مُدَّة (mudda) — period of time
  • Arabic: فَتْرَة (fatra) — period of time
  • Bangi: eleko — period of time
  • Basque: tarte — period of time
  • Belarusian: інтэрва́л (intervál) — period of time
  • Belarusian: праме́жак (pramjéžak) — period of time
  • Bengali: মুদ্দত (muddot) — period of time
  • Bulgarian: интерва́л (intervál) — period of time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 間隔 /间隔 (jiàngé) — period of time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 間隙 /间隙 (jiànxì) — period of time
  • Czech: interval — period of time
  • Dutch: interval — period of time
  • Esperanto: intertempo — period of time
  • Estonian: vahemik — period of time
  • Finnish: aika — period of time
  • Finnish: aikaväli — period of time
  • French: intervalle — period of time
  • Galician: intervalo — period of time
  • Georgian: ინტერვალი (inṭervali) — period of time
  • Georgian: შუალედი (šualedi) — period of time
  • Georgian: დროის მონაკვეთი (drois monaḳveti) — period of time
  • German: Intervall — period of time
  • Greek: διάστημα (diástima) — period of time
  • Greek: περίοδος (períodos) — period of time
  • Greek: διάλειμμα (diáleimma) — period of time
  • Ancient Greek: διάλειμμα (diáleimma) — period of time
  • Hindi: अंतराल (antrāl) — period of time
  • Hungarian: időköz — period of time
  • Hungarian: intervallum — period of time
  • Irish: eadar-àm — period of time
  • Italian: intervallo — period of time
  • Japanese: 間隔 (kankaku) — period of time
  • Korean: 간격 (gan'gyeok) — period of time
  • Ladino: tòch — period of time
  • Latin: intervallum — period of time
  • Lingala: eleko — period of time
  • Macedonian: ме́ѓувреме (méǵuvreme) — period of time
  • Macedonian: интерва́л (intervál) — period of time
  • Malay: jeda — period of time
  • Māori: houanga — period of time
  • Māori: whakamatuatanga — period of time
  • Mirandese: anterbalo — period of time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mellomrom — period of time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: intervall — period of time
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mellomrom — period of time
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: intervall — period of time
  • Polish: interwał — period of time
  • Portuguese: intervalo — period of time
  • Romanian: interval — period of time
  • Russian: интерва́л (intɛrvál) — period of time
  • Russian: промежу́ток (promežútok) — period of time
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar-thamall — period of time
  • Spanish: intervalo — period of time
  • Swedish: intervall — period of time
  • Swedish: tidsintervall — period of time
  • Tamil: இடைவெளி (iṭaiveḷi) — period of time
  • Thai: ตอน (dtɔɔn) — period of time
  • Turkish: aralık — period of time
  • Ottoman Turkish: آرا (ara) — period of time
  • Ottoman Turkish: آرالق (aralık) — period of time
  • Ukrainian: інтерва́л (intervál) — period of time
  • Ukrainian: промі́жок (promížok) — period of time
  • Venetan: intervalo — period of time
  • Venetan: tòco — period of time
  • Venetan: tòch — period of time
  • Vietnamese: khoảng thời gian — period of time
  • Volapük: vütim — period of time
  • Arabic: مَسَافَة (masāfa) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Belarusian: інтэрва́л (intervál) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Bulgarian: интерва́л (intervál) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Chinese Mandarin: 音程 (yīnchéng) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Dutch: interval — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Finnish: intervalli — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Georgian: ინტერვალი (inṭervali) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • German: Intervall — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Hawaiian: lele — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Hungarian: hangköz — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Italian: intervallo — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Japanese: 音程 (ontei) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Korean: 음정 (eumjeong) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Māori: āputa — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Norwegian Bokmål: intervall — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: intervall — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Polish: interwał — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Romanian: interval — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Russian: интерва́л (intɛrvál) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Swedish: intervall — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Tagalog: patlang — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Ukrainian: інтерва́л (intervál) — music: distance in pitch of notes
  • Bulgarian: отсе́чка (otséčka) — section of the real line
  • Chinese Mandarin: 區間 /区间 (qūjiān) — section of the real line
  • Czech: interval — section of the real line
  • Finnish: väli — section of the real line
  • French: intervalle — section of the real line
  • Italian: intervallo — section of the real line
  • Japanese: 区間 (kukan) — section of the real line
  • Korean: 구간 (gugan) — section of the real line
  • Macedonian: интерва́л (intervál) — section of the real line
  • Polish: przedział — section of the real line
  • Portuguese: intervalo — section of the real line
  • Spanish: intervalo — section of the real line
  • Swedish: intervall — section of the real line
  • Tamil: இடைவெளி (iṭaiveḷi) — section of the real line
  • Finnish: erätauko — cricket: break between sessions
  • Tamil: இடைவெளி (iṭaiveḷi) — cricket: break between sessions
Real reading context

interval in complete knowledge articles