Interregnum

//ɪntəˈɹɛɡnəm// name, noun

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Ellipsis of British Interregnum, the period of 1649–1660 when an unmonarchical state ruled Britain; the monarchy was then restored. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

    "Meronyms: Commonwealth; Commonwealth of England; Protectorate; Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland"

Noun
  1. 1
    A period of time between the end of one monarch's reign and the accession of their successor.

    "The Sasanian Interregnum of 628–632"

  2. 2
    the time between two reigns, governments, etc. wordnet
  3. 3
    A break in continuity; a gap, an intermission. broadly, figuratively

    "Is it not Pelham who wonders what becomes of servants when they are not wanted;—whether, like the tones of an instrument, they exist but when called for? About servants we will not decide; but that some such interregnum certainly occurs in female existence on rising from table, no one can doubt who ever noted the sound of the dining and the silence of the drawing-room."

  4. 4
    A period of time between when a minister or pastor leaves a church and when a new one is installed. broadly
  5. 5
    A period of time between the end of one political leader's term and the start of the term of their successor; a period of time during which normal executive leadership is interrupted or suspended, and a polity is either left without leadership or has only a temporary one. broadly

    "Darker questions still emerge in these dusky final weeks of our interregnum."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A temporary exercise of authority or rule during a period of time when there is no monarch or political leader. obsolete

Etymology

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin interrēgnum, from inter- (prefix meaning ‘between’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér (“between”)) + rēgnum (“reign; royal power”) (nominalized from the neuter of *rēgnus, from rēx (“king; ruler”, oblique stem rēg-) + -nus (suffix forming adjectives), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to righten; to straighten”)). The plural form interregna is a learned borrowing from Latin interrēgna.

Etymology 2

Proprialization from interregnum.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: interregnum