interception

American  

[in-ter-sep-shuhn] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of intercepting.

2. the state or fact of being intercepted.

3. Military.

   1. the engaging of an enemy force in an attempt to hinder or prevent it from carrying out its mission.

   2. the monitoring of enemy radio transmission to obtain information.

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Etymology

Origin of interception

First recorded in 1590–1600, interception is from the Latin word interceptiōn- (stem of interceptiō ). See intercept, -ion

Example Sentences

"Authorities are responding to an incident of falling debris at the Habshan gas facilities, following successful interception by air defence systems," the emirate's media office said on X.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates shut down a gas field after a missile interception reportedly rained debris on it and started a fire, the Associated Press reported.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

A separate statement said "some civilian facilities sustained material damage as a result of falling fragments and debris from interception operations".

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

But an exceptionally high interception rate of Iranian missiles by sophisticated air defenses helped avoid catastrophic damage, at least so far.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

And the Coast Guard had the most advanced radio interception network in the Americas.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield