# hiatus

/haɪˈeɪtəs/ (US) · /haɪˈeɪtəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hiatus
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a break or pause

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a period of time when something stops happening before it starts again.

For teachers: a temporary gap, pause, or interruption in a continuous process or series.

- The band is taking a long hiatus to spend more time with their families.
- After a three-year hiatus from the screen, the actress returned to star in a critically acclaimed independent drama.

Usage: Often used with the verbs 'take' or 'go on'.

### 2. an opening in the body

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a natural opening or gap in an organ or part of the body.

For teachers: a natural opening or passage through a bone or muscular structure.

- A hiatal hernia happens when part of the stomach pushes through a hiatus in the diaphragm.
- The surgeon carefully identified the esophageal hiatus to ensure the repair did not restrict the patient's ability to swallow.

Usage: Usually refers to the opening in the diaphragm for the esophagus.

### 3. vowel break

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the sound of two vowel sounds coming together without a consonant between them.

For teachers: the occurrence of two vowel sounds in adjacent syllables without an intervening consonant.

- In the word 'cooperate', there is a hiatus between the two 'o' sounds.
- The poet avoided hiatus in his verses, preferring the smooth flow provided by elision or intervening consonants.

Usage: Commonly discussed in linguistics and classical prosody.

## Examples

- The band is taking a hiatus after their world tour.
- After a three-year hiatus from acting, she returned to the screen in a critically acclaimed drama.
- The television series went on an indefinite hiatus following the lead actor's departure, leaving fans uncertain about whether the narrative arc would ever reach its conclusion.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.