# interval

/ˈɪntɝvəɫ/ (US) · /ˈɪntəvəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/interval
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. time between events

noun · CEFR B2

a period of time between two events or activities.

For teachers: a temporal gap or duration separating two distinct events or states.

- There was a short interval of peace before the noisy construction work started again.
- The study observed the patients at regular intervals over a five-year period to track the long-term effects of the medication.

### 2. theatre/concert break

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a short break between the parts of a performance, like a play or a concert.

For teachers: a scheduled intermission between the acts of a theatrical performance or the sections of a concert.

- We went to get some water during the interval of the play.
- During the fifteen-minute interval, the audience crowded into the foyer while the stagehands quickly rearranged the scenery for the second act.

### 3. distance in space

noun · CEFR B2

the physical distance or gap between two objects.

For teachers: the spatial distance or amount of separation between two points or objects.

- The trees were planted at ten-meter intervals along the road.
- The security lights were placed at precise intervals along the perimeter fence to ensure there were no dark spots.

### 4. musical pitch

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the difference in highness or lowness between two musical notes.

For teachers: the difference in frequency or pitch between two musical tones.

- The singer practiced jumping between a wide interval of notes.
- The composer used dissonant intervals to create a sense of tension and unease throughout the opening movement of the symphony.

### 5. mathematical range

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

all the numbers between two specific points.

For teachers: a set of real numbers that includes all numbers between any two numbers in the set.

- The function is only valid for the interval between zero and one.
- The algorithm calculates the probability of an event occurring within a specific confidence interval based on the provided data set.

### 6. sports break

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a break in a game, such as half-time in football or lunch in cricket.

For teachers: a scheduled break between periods of play in a sporting match.

- The players headed to the locker room for the half-time interval.
- Rain stopped play just before the tea interval, leaving the batsmen frustrated as they waited for the clouds to clear.

## Examples

- There is a short interval between the two halves of the game.
- The trains run at ten-minute intervals during the morning rush hour to prevent overcrowding on the platforms.
- The study measured the heart rate of participants at regular intervals over a twenty-four-hour period to account for circadian fluctuations in cardiovascular activity.

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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.