Meaning & use
interval
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Meanings
nouncountable
A length of time that comes between two events, actions, or points in a process.
Grammar: Takes a plural with intervals; often used with between or an adjective such as regular.
Patterns
- interval between A and B
- at regular intervals
- after a short interval
There was a long interval between the two emails.
The machine checks pressure at regular intervals.
After a brief interval, the meeting continued.
nouncountableBritish
A pause between parts of a play, concert, film, or similar public performance.
Grammar: Common in British English; American English more often says intermission for theatre and concerts.
Patterns
- during the interval
- the interval between acts
We bought coffee during the interval.
The bell rang to signal the interval.
nouncountable
A space or distance between two objects, points, or positions.
Grammar: Often used in technical descriptions of arrangement or measurement; similar to gap but measurable.
Patterns
- interval between posts
- plant at wide intervals
Trees were planted at equal intervals along the road.
Measure the interval between the two marks.
nouncountablemathematics
A set of numbers between two limits, used in mathematics and statistics.
Grammar: Common in school math and data descriptions; often written with brackets or parentheses.
Patterns
- closed interval
- open interval
- confidence interval
The values fall in the interval from 10 to 20.
A confidence interval gives a range for the estimate.
nouncountablemusicspecialist
The difference in pitch between two musical notes.
Grammar: A specialist music term; learners meet it in theory, choirs, and instrument lessons.
Patterns
- sing an interval
- major interval
- perfect interval
The exercise trains students to hear each interval.
A fifth is a common interval in harmony.
Word forms
| plural | intervals |
|---|
Common combinations
- at regular intervals
- Buses leave at regular intervals during rush hour.
- brief interval
- There was only a brief interval before the next speaker.
- interval between
- The interval between tests must be at least a week.
- during the interval
- People stretched their legs during the interval.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gap
- More general and often less measurable; interval sounds more exact or arranged.
- pause
- Suggests a temporary stop, while interval can simply be time between events.
- break
- Informal and often planned for rest; interval is more precise or formal.
- intermission
- Used for a theatre or concert pause, especially in American English, not for time gaps in data.
Commonly confused: interval or internal? interval or intermission?
interval vs internal
Internal means inside; interval means a gap or time between things.
interval vs intermission
Intermission is the usual American word for a theatre pause; interval is common in British English.
Practice
Choose the best completion: The sensor records temperature ___ of ten minutes.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is at intervals, meaning repeatedly after equal periods. 'Internal' means inside, and in/on interval are not the fixed pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “interval”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.