intercept

1 of 2

verb

in·​ter·​cept ˌin-tər-ˈsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
intercepted; intercepting; intercepts

transitive verb

1
a
: to stop, seize, or interrupt in progress or course or before arrival
b
: to receive (a communication or signal directed elsewhere) usually secretly
2
a
: to gain possession of (an opponent's pass)
b
: to intercept a pass thrown by (an opponent)
3
: to include (part of a curve, surface, or solid) between two points, curves, or surfaces
the part of a circumference intercepted between two radii
4
obsolete : prevent, hinder
5
obsolete : to interrupt communication or connection with

intercept

2 of 2

noun

in·​ter·​cept ˈin-tər-ˌsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
1
: the distance from the origin to a point where a graph crosses a coordinate axis
2
: interception
especially : the interception of a missile by an interceptor or of a target by a missile
3
: a message, code, or signal that is intercepted (as by monitoring radio communications)

Did you know?

Since the prefix inter means "between", it's not hard to see how intercept was created. Arms shipments coming to a country are sometimes intercepted, but such interceptions can sometimes be understood as acts of war. In football, soccer, and basketball, players try to intercept the ball as it's being passed by the other team. In years gone by, letters and documents being carried between officers or officials were sometimes intercepted when the carrier was caught; today, when these communications are generally electronic, an intercepted email isn't actually stopped, but simply read secretly by a third party.

Examples of intercept in a Sentence

Verb Detectives have been intercepting her mail. The police intercepted him as he was walking out.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Most of these have been intercepted or have landed harmlessly in the water, making Wednesday’s attack even more of a shock, which could cause shipping companies still transiting the waterway to think again. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Since 2022, the station reported, her husband would intercept Abdulkareem at the door and steer him away from the office and patients. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 For what Klopp needs—hard running, intercepting play, and holding onto the ball—he’s been a real find, though. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Fans had already moved down to the court area as Mark Mitchell heaved a long inbounds pass that was intercepted by Cam Hildreth near midcourt. CBS News, 24 Feb. 2024 If Hamas is intercepting aid convoys, as Israel claims, then Israel should provide aid directly to the population—by having Israeli army units either protect those aid convoys or deliver the aid directly. Raphael S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2024 But officials said the balloon intercepted Friday was not sent by a foreign adversary and posed no threat to aviation or U.S. security. TIME, 24 Feb. 2024 Larrabee, who is based in San Antonio, said his agents intercept guns and ammo headed south multiple times a week. Beth Warren, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 With just 45 seconds of the four additional minutes remaining, the match appeared to be heading for a stalemate until Gabriel Martinelli launched an ambitious pass forward that was easily intercepted by Porto defender Otávio. Matias Grez, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
The blog post cited radio intercepts of conversations of troops operating in eastern Ukraine. Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Check out the game recap below: Lions vs. Vikings game recap, highlights 2:08, fourth quarter: C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepts Nick Mullens Welcome back, C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 7 Jan. 2024 Intelligence agencies found no intercepts implicating Russian or other spies. Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Israeli estimates are based in part on intercepts of Hamas’s own assessments, the official added. Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023 Achieving a reset in ties has been complicated by Beijing’s tense standoffs with the Philippines over contested islands, escalating saber-rattling around Taiwan, and frequent dangerous intercepts by Chinese ships and warplanes targeting the United States and its allies. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2023 Last winter, some Russian airstrikes could have succeeded in destroying Kyiv’s power grid if not for intercepts by Ukrainian air defenses, Hardie said. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023 Chinese military commanders refused for more than a year to speak to American counterparts even as close-call intercepts by Chinese fighter jets of U.S. spy planes surged in the western Pacific. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023 In email communication, PFS can be applied to end-to-end encrypted email services, guaranteeing that email content remains confidential, even if an attacker gains access to encryption keys or intercepts messages. John Prisco, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intercept.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin interceptus, past participle of intercipere, from inter- + capere to take, seize — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of intercept was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near intercept

Cite this Entry

“Intercept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intercept. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

intercept

1 of 2 verb
in·​ter·​cept ˌint-ər-ˈsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
1
: to take or seize on the way to or before arrival
intercept a letter
intercept a pass
2
: to include (part of a line, surface, or solid) between two points, curves, or surfaces
a line intercepted between points A and B
interception
-ˈsep-shən
noun

intercept

2 of 2 noun
in·​ter·​cept ˈint-ər-ˌsept How to pronounce intercept (audio)
: the distance from the origin of a coordinate system to a point where a graph (as of a line) crosses a coordinate axis
Etymology

Verb

from Latin interceptus, past participle of intercipere "to take or hinder in the course of," from inter- "between, in the course of" and cipere, a form of capere "to take, seize" — related to capture, except

Legal Definition

intercept

transitive verb
in·​ter·​cept
: to receive (a communication or signal directed elsewhere) usually secretly
shall not be unlawful…for a person not acting under color of law to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication where such person is a party to the communicationU.S. Code
interception noun

More from Merriam-Webster on intercept

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