Why is the Holocene considered an interglacial interval?

The Holocene Epoch is classified as an interglacial interval because it represents a period of relatively warm climate following the retreat of the major continental ice sheets that characterized the preceding Pleistocene Epoch.12

In the context of geochronology, the Earth’s climate has historically cycled between cold glacial stages—where ice sheets covered vast areas—and warmer interglacial stages where conditions are comparable to those of the present day. The Holocene, which began approximately 11,700 years ago, marks the most recent of these warm intervals. During this time, the extensive ice sheets that defined the last glacial maximum retreated to their current dimensions, leading to rising sea levels and significant shifts in global atmospheric circulation and ocean currents.31245

While the Holocene has experienced its own internal climatic variations, it remains distinct from the glacial stages of the Pleistocene due to this overall state of reduced global ice cover and warmer average temperatures.23