hiatus

A temporary gap, pause, break, or absence can be called a hiatus. When your favorite TV show is on hiatus, that means there are no new episodes — not forever, just for a little while.

Even things that go on for a long time take a break once in a while: one kind of break is a hiatus. If someone has to leave her job for a time, she's going on hiatus. A touring band will need to take a hiatus if the lead singer gets in an accident. The key thing about a hiatus is that it's an interruption of something that was happening, but it's not a permanent break.

Definitions of hiatus
  1. noun
    an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
    synonyms: abatement, reprieve, respite, suspension
    see moresee less
    types:
    defervescence
    abatement of a fever as indicated by a reduction in body temperature
    remission, remittal, subsidence
    an abatement in intensity or degree (as in the manifestations of a disease)
    resolution
    the subsidence of swelling or other signs of inflammation (especially in a lung)
    type of:
    break, interruption
    some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
  2. noun
    a missing piece (as a gap in a manuscript)
    see moresee less
    type of:
    piece
    an artistic or literary composition
  3. noun
    a natural opening or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure
    synonyms: foramen
    see moresee less
    types:
    Monro's foramen, foramen of Monro, interventricular foramen
    the small opening (on both the right and left sides) that connects the third ventricle in the diencephalon with the lateral ventricle in the cerebral hemisphere
    foramen magnum
    the large opening at the base of the cranium through which the spinal cord passes
    type of:
    gap, opening
    an open or empty space in or between things
Word Family
EDITOR’S CHOICE

Test prep from the experts

Boost your test score with programs developed by Vocabulary.com’s experts.

  • Proven methods: Learn faster, remember longer with our scientific approach.
  • Personalized plan: We customize your experience to maximize your learning.
  • Strategic studying: Focus on the words that are most crucial for success.

SAT/PSAT

$29.95
  • Number of words: 500+
  • Duration: 8 weeks or less
  • Time: 1 hour / week
Start today

TOEFL

$29.95
  • Number of words: 500+
  • Duration: 10 weeks or less
  • Time: 1 hour / week
Start today

ACT

$29.95
  • Number of words: 700+
  • Duration: 10 weeks
  • Time: 1 hour / week
Start today