interlude

American  

[in-ter-lood] / ˈɪn tərˌlud /

noun

• interludes
  plural

1. an intervening episode, period, space, etc.

   Synonyms:

   pause, intermission, respite, interval

2. a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments.

3. one of the early English farces or comedies, as those written by John Heywood, which grew out of such pieces.

4. any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play.

5. an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.

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interlude British  

/ ˈɪntəˌluːd /

noun

1. a period of time or different activity between longer periods, processes, or events; episode or interval

2. theatre a short dramatic piece played separately or as part of a longer entertainment, common in 16th-century England

3. a brief piece of music, dance, etc, given between the sections of another performance

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interludial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• interludes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of interlude

1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin interlūdium, equivalent to Latin inter- inter- + lūd ( us ) play + -ium -ium

Explanation

An interlude is a brief period of time that comes in the middle of something. You might enjoy a relaxing lemonade interlude in the middle of a tough day at your road-paving job. Any block of time that comes as a break or a respite from an activity can be called an interlude, so you could talk about a quiet interlude after a noisy birthday party, or an interlude of peace after years of war. Interlude is often used to describe the pauses between acts of a play or during an intermission. In fact, the original meaning came from the Latin interludium, which means "between a play".

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

interlude interludes

I can still remember how blue the skies in California seemed during that brief interlude.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

“It was just this six-week interlude of time when people liked each other and people were having fun together,” Schloessman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Wall Street sees the war as ongoing, viewing the interim peace agreement as a short-lived interlude.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

This drama is far from over, even if a private coffee and a very public, grand occasion means there is a brief interlude today.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

The bank battle was an unpleasant interlude, but it didn’t interrupt what was becoming the key portion of most of Bobby’s days: reading.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The film got three stars from Tim Robey, external at The Telegraph, who notes the film's "action interludes are more nonsensical than scary" and "provide momentary dumb fun when Scott's campfire apocalypse needs waking up".

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Anchored on a near-orchestral soundstage, its 20 tracks ricochet from in-your-face punk dissonance to majestic broken-heart dirges, a lovely duet with St. Vincent, rootsy folk interludes and farfisa-rich lounge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

While the tracks blend without interruption, many are stitched together with brief ambient interludes, during which Madonna often offers spiritual incantations about the healing power of music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

His ongoing dispute with a folding bicycle and a long-running complaint about the behavior of the upstairs neighbors are, though they make for some very funny interludes, symptomatic of entrenched unhappiness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Ed chose his music carefully, his dances having an opening act of excitement and greeting, a middle of pulsating, very danceable songs interspersed with romantic interludes, and then the inevitable ending.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• breathing space
• idyll
• lull
• respite