interwar

American

[in-ter-wawr] / ˌɪn tərˈwɔr /

adjective

occurring during a period of peace between two wars, especially between World War I and World War II.

interwar British

/ ˌɪntəˈwɔː /

adjective

of or happening in the period between World War I and World War II

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of interwar

First recorded in 1935–40; inter- + war ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lajos struggles to keep hold of the estate after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 and during the interwar years as Hungary slides toward its alliance with Nazi Germany.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

"By the interwar period, people were noting how Christmas was becoming more private than public," said Professor Johnes.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

That is why I think it wise to think of Nazism and fascism as terms referring to specific European movements that grew out of the twentieth-century interwar period in Germany, Italy and Spain.”

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

“The Childhood of a Leader” was about the interwar period between the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the Second World War.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2025

During the interwar period Macedonia was divided between Greece, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia retaining the largest portion of the land.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Baluyut, Violeta D.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023