WordValeinterregnum
a gap between two governments or reigns
In more detail
1. (noun) a period of time when a country has no leader, or between one leader and the next
2. (noun) a break or pause in something that is usually continuous
Examples
- 1. During the interregnum after the king's death, the government was unstable.
- 2. There was an interregnum of several years before the company hired a new CEO.
How to use interregnum
Interregnum is a formal word most commonly used in historical and political contexts to describe the period when a throne or high office is vacant. It can also apply more broadly to any significant break or suspension in an otherwise continuous process or activity. The term carries a sense of transition or uncertainty and is more literary and academic than colloquial.
Common phrases
- during the interregnum
- the interregnum period
- political interregnum
- an interregnum in
- long interregnum
Synonyms
interval · pause · gap · hiatus · intermission
Word family
interregnal (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use interregnum as an adjective ('an interregnum period') when the adjective form is interregnal, though the noun used attributively ('interregnum period') is acceptable.
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