interregnum

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˌɪntɚˈrɛɡnəm/ UK /ˌɪntəˈrɛɡnəm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
an interval between two reigns or governments; a pause in continuity

During the interregnum, the council governed in the late king's name.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an interval between two... interim interlude hiatus interval gap intermission

Word family

Related forms reign regnant regalinterregnal

Etymology

From Latin interregnum ('an interval between reigns'), from inter- ('between') + regnum ('rule, kingdom'), from regere ('to rule').

interregnum Latin regere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# interregnum

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪntɚˈrɛɡnəm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɪntəˈrɛɡnəm/

## Meanings
1. an interval between two reigns or governments; a pause in continuity

## Examples
- During the interregnum, the council governed in the late king's name.

## Synonyms
- interim
- interlude
- hiatus
- interval
- gap
- intermission

## Related Forms
- reign
- regnant
- regal
- interregnal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: interregnum
- Root: regere

## Etymology
From Latin interregnum ('an interval between reigns'), from inter- ('between') + regnum ('rule, kingdom'), from regere ('to rule').

## AI Etymology
interregnum comes from Latin interregnum ('an interval between reigns'), from inter- ('between') + regnum ('rule, kingdom'), from regere ('to rule'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the noun sense is "an interval between two reigns or governments; a pause in continuity", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as reign, regnant, regal, and interregnal. Its semantic neighborhood includes interim, interlude, hiatus, and interval, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin interregnum and Latin regere.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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