WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•ter•cep•tion
(in′tər sep′shən),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- an act or instance of intercepting.
- the state or fact of being intercepted.
- Military
- Militarythe engaging of an enemy force in an attempt to hinder or prevent it from carrying out its mission.
- the monitoring of enemy radio transmission to obtain information.
- Latin interceptiōn- (stem of interceptiō). See intercept, -ion
- 1590–1600
in•ter•cept /v. ˌɪntɚˈsɛpt; n. ˈɪntɚˌsɛpt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
n. [countable]
in•ter•cep•tor, n. [countable]See -cep-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to seize or halt (someone or something on the way from one place to another):to intercept a messenger.
- Sportto take possession of (a ball or puck) during a pass by the opposing team:intercepted three of his first five passes.
n. [countable]
- an act of intercepting.
- Military, Governmentan intercepted message.
in•ter•cep•tor, n. [countable]See -cep-.
in•ter•cept
(v. in′tər sept′;n. in′tər sept′),USA pronunciation v.t.
n.
in′ter•cep′tive, adj.
- to take, seize, or halt (someone or something on the way from one place to another);
cut off from an intended destination:to intercept a messenger. - to see or overhear (a message, transmission, etc., meant for another):We intercepted the enemy's battle plan.
- to stop or check (passage, travel, etc.):to intercept the traitor's escape.
- Sportto take possession of (a ball or puck) during an attempted pass by an opposing team.
- to stop or interrupt the course, progress, or transmission of.
- to destroy or disperse (enemy aircraft or a missile or missiles) in the air on the way to a target.
- to stop the natural course of (light, water, etc.).
- Mathematicsto mark off or include, as between two points or lines.
- to intersect.
- [Obs.]to prevent or cut off the operation or effect of.
- [Obs.]to cut off from access, sight, etc.
n.
- an interception.
- [Math.]
- Mathematicsan intercepted segment of a line.
- Mathematics(in a coordinate system) the distance from the origin to the point at which a curve or line intersects an axis.
- Latin interceptus past participle of intercipere, equivalent. to inter- inter- + -cep- (combining form of cap-, stem of capere to take) + -tus past participle suffix; compare incipient
- 1535–45
'interception' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):