Meaning & use
interruptible
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Able to be stopped or paused before it is finished, especially by another action or event.
Grammar: Often used in technical contexts; not usually graded (not 'more interruptible').
Patterns
- be interruptible
- interruptible process
- interruptible by something
The software update is interruptible, so you can pause it and resume later.
This kind of task is easily interruptible and can be restarted without losing data.
The power supply is interruptible during peak hours.
adjectivenot comparablecomputing
In computing, describes a process or routine that can be temporarily stopped by a signal and then continued.
Grammar: Used mostly in technical writing about operating systems.
Patterns
- interruptible process
- interruptible sleep
- interruptible by a signal
The thread is in an interruptible sleep state, waiting for input.
An interruptible routine can be paused to handle a higher-priority task.
Common combinations
- interruptible process
- The system allows an interruptible process to be paused.
- interruptible power supply
- An interruptible power supply can be cut off during peak demand.
- interruptible sleep
- The program entered an interruptible sleep while waiting for data.
- easily interruptible
- This type of work is easily interruptible.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pausable
- More general and everyday; means you can stop it temporarily, but not necessarily by an external signal.
- stoppable
- Broader; means it can be stopped, but does not imply it can be resumed.
Opposites
Word family
- interrupt verb
- To break the continuity of something.
- interruption noun
- An act of interrupting.
- interrupted adjective
- Stopped or broken off.
Commonly confused: interruptible or interruptible vs. interrupted?
interruptible vs interruptible vs. interrupted
Interruptible means it can be interrupted; interrupted means it has been interrupted.
Practice
A process that can be stopped by a signal and later resumed is called:
Choose one answer.
Interruptible describes the ability to be interrupted. 'Interrupted' means it has already been stopped, and 'interruption' is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “interruptible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.