interruption

interruption — noun

1. A short period during which an activity, event, or process is stopped, usually b

1.nounB2
Definition

A short period during which an activity, event, or process is stopped, usually by an unexpected person or thing that gets in the way.

Example

The street noise caused an interruption in the lesson, forcing the teacher to stop.

interruption in [noun] — common preposition pattern

Ryo apologised for the interruption when he walked into the wrong meeting room by mistake.

apologise for the interruption — set phrase

Common collocations
  • constant interruption
  • brief interruption
  • rude interruption
  • cause an interruption
  • apologise for the interruption
  • ignore interruptions
Synonyms
  • disruption

    stronger in meaning — a disruption causes disorder and is harder to recover from than an interruption

  • disturbance

    focuses on the annoying or distracting effect, not necessarily a full stop of activity

  • break

    can be intentional or planned, unlike interruption which is typically unwanted

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

interruption + to + noun phrase

interruption + in + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often used with a prepositional phrase introduced by 'to' (interruption to my work) or 'in' (interruption in the lesson). Frequently follows verbs such as 'cause', 'apologise for', or 'ignore'.

Common Mistakes

The meeting had a long interruption for two hours.
The meeting was interrupted for two hours.
'interruption' refers to a shorter break; for longer stoppages, use 'break' or 'disruption'.
I need to work without interruption.
I need to work without interruptions.
In this sense, 'interruption' is usually a countable noun, so the plural or an article is needed.

2. A gap, pause, or break within something that is normally continuous, such as a s

2.nounC1
Definition

A gap, pause, or break within something that is normally continuous, such as a signal, a supply, or a conversation.

Example

The TV signal had a brief interruption, and the screen went black for a moment.

signal interruption — compound noun in technical contexts

Emre noticed a brief interruption in the heartbeat pattern on the hospital monitor.

interruption in [something] — common preposition pattern

Common collocations
  • signal interruption
  • service interruption
  • brief interruption
  • temporary interruption
  • without interruption
Synonyms
  • pause

    a shorter, often intentional stop; less disruptive than an interruption

  • break

    a planned or natural gap in continuity; neutral in tone

  • lapse

    a temporary failure or gap, often in attention or memory

Antonyms
  • continuity

    the state of being continuous without gaps

Grammar Patterns

interruption + in + noun phrase

without interruption

Usage Note

This sense is common in technical contexts (signal interruption, service interruption) and can be uncountable in the phrase 'without interruption' meaning 'continuously'.

Common Mistakes

The internet service had an interruption of three days.
The internet service was down for three days.
'interruption' implies a short gap; use 'outage' or 'downtime' for extended periods.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a stop in an activity, but they differ in intensity, cause, and tone. 'Interruption' is the most neutral term — it simply means something temporarily stops a process, usually from outside (a phone call, a noise). 'Disruption' is stronger: it implies that the activity is thrown into disorder and may be hard to restart (a power outage disrupting a factory). 'Disturbance' emphasises the annoying or distracting quality rather than the stop itself — a loud conversation is a disturbance even if you keep working. 'Break' and 'pause' are the only two that can be intentional or planned — 'I took a coffee break' is normal, but 'I took an interruption' is not. Choose 'interruption' when the stop is short, external, and unwanted; choose 'disruption' when the effect is more serious; and use 'break' or 'pause' when the stop is deliberate.

disruption ↗disturbance ↗break ↗pause ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • without interruption
  • cause an interruption
  • suffer an interruption
  • experience an interruption

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'interruptio', meaning 'a breaking apart'. It comes from the verb 'interrumpere' — 'inter-' (between) and 'rumpere' (to break). The word entered English through Old French in the 14th century, first referring to gaps in physical objects and later to breaks in time or activity.