intermit

Intermit is a rarely used English verb meaning to suspend or interrupt temporarily. In modern usage it appears mainly in historical or literary contexts and is often replaced by more common terms such as interrupt, pause, or suspend.

Etymology traces intermit back to the Latin intermittere, from inter- “between” and mittere “to send.” The sense evolved from sending between moments to withholding or delaying action, a development that underpins related terms like intermission and intermittent.

In contemporary writing, intermit is considered archaic or specialized. It is rarely used in everyday speech or standard technical prose; when encountered, it typically appears in translations of older texts, philological discussions, or contexts where a more formal or historical tone is desired. Writers commonly substitute intermission, interrupt, pause, or suspend, depending on the intended nuance.

Related terms include intermittent, intermission, and hiatus. Intermittent describes something that occurs at irregular intervals, while intermission denotes a break in a performance or process. Hiatus similarly refers to a break or gap in continuity. Because intermit is not widely used in modern English, readers should rely on more standard verbs to ensure clarity, reserving intermit for tone or scholarly contexts.