- a period of time between two events
- The interval between major earthquakes might be 200 years.
- He knocked on the door and after a brief interval it was opened.
Extra Examples- Polling day was a week away and Baldwin made two speeches in the interval.
- They will be interviewed again after an appropriate time interval has elapsed.
- Try setting your automatic email checker to 30-minute intervals.
- You are advised to leave a wide interval before you have your next child.
- the amount of oxygen used by the muscles during a specified interval
- She ruled for ten years, except for a brief interval.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- brief
- short
- long
- …
- at intervals
- in the interval
- interval between
- …
- at fixed, periodic, regular, etc. intervals
- at irregular intervals
- at random intervals
- …
- (British English) (also intermission North American English, British English)a short period of time separating parts of a play, film or concert
- There will be an interval of 20 minutes after the second act.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- brief
- short
- long
- …
- at intervals
- in the interval
- interval between
- …
- at fixed, periodic, regular, etc. intervals
- at irregular intervals
- at random intervals
- …
- [usually plural] a short period during which something different happens from what is happening the rest of the time
- She's delirious, but has lucid intervals.
- (British English) The day should be mainly dry with sunny intervals.
- The intervals between his various illnesses grew shorter and shorter.
- (music) a difference in pitch (= how high or low a note sounds) between two notes
- an interval of one octave
- an activity in interval training
- You can do intervals by alternating power walking with easy jogging.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French entrevalle, based on Latin intervallum ‘space between ramparts, interval’, from inter- ‘between’ + vallum ‘rampart’.
Idioms
See interval in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee interval in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat (…) intervals
- with time between
- Buses to the city leave at regular intervals.
- The runners started at 5-minute intervals.
Extra Examples- At intervals a bell rang.
- He returned home during the day at regular intervals.
- Meetings are held at monthly intervals.
- The accounts were updated at irregular intervals.
- Trains run at fixed intervals.
- with spaces between
- Flaming torches were positioned at intervals along the terrace.
- The flags were spaced at two-metre intervals.
Check pronunciation:
interval