middleman
Americannoun
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a person who plays an economic role intermediate between producer and retailer or consumer.
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a person who acts as an intermediary.
noun
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an independent trader engaged in the distribution of goods from producer to consumer
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an intermediary
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theatre the interlocutor in minstrel shows
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of middleman
1400–50; late Middle English: maker of girdles; see middle, man
Explanation
A middleman is someone who works buying goods from one source and selling them to another. For example, if you are selling your house, your real estate agent acts as the middleman between you and the buyer. Anyone whose job involves buying and re-selling can be called a middleman, although sometimes the thing being sold is some kind of service rather than physical goods. One example of a middleman is a wholesaler who buys fruit and vegetables from farmers and then distributes them to large supermarkets. While sometimes it makes more sense for farmers to sell directly to stores, a middleman can simplify the process.
Vocabulary lists containing middleman
History of India - Introductory
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History of India - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Moffett said that, in the old days, television channels didn’t have to worry about irking customers with rising costs, because that relationship was handled by a middleman — the cable companies.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
I’ve worked with people where they had to have that middleman for a little bit until they felt comfortable.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
He provided the information to his Florida middleman, who gave the tip to a doctor in Florida whose brothers also traded on the tips, as did some of the brothers’ co-workers, according to the indictment.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
"But we found that there was an unexpected middleman in that conversation, astrocytes."
From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026
Working as a kind of headhunter, John became the middleman, finding the right skilled, trustworthy crews to do the jobs.
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
