intermediary
Americannoun
plural
intermediaries-
an intermediate agent or agency; a go-between or mediator.
- Synonyms:
- umpire, arbitrator
-
a medium or means.
-
an intermediate form or stage.
adjective
-
being between; intermediate.
-
acting between persons, parties, etc.; serving as an intermediate agent or agency.
an intermediary power.
noun
-
a person who acts as a mediator or agent between parties
-
something that acts as a medium or means
-
an intermediate state or period
adjective
-
acting as an intermediary
-
situated, acting, or coming between; intermediate
Etymology
Origin of intermediary
1785–95; < Late Latin intermedi ( um ) intervening place + -ary; see intermediate 1
Explanation
An intermediary is someone who acts as a go-between or a mediator between two other people. Be careful when you're the intermediary between two friends who are fighting, because they might both end up mad at you! The word intermediary comes from the Latin intermedius, which is also the root word for intermediate. Inter- means between, and medius means the middle — intermediary retains that sense of being in the middle. Intermediaries are used to negotiate between two countries who are at odds, between a company and a client over a contract, between two bickering children, or between a boss and an employee in salary negotiations.
Vocabulary lists containing intermediary
Animal Farm
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Economics
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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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.
Security was tight around the Chinese capital’s main Chaoyang District Intermediary Court and no detailed information was immediately available.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2023
"The creation of the so-called Financial Intermediary Fund carries certain risks," Salagay said.
From Reuters • Jun. 20, 2022
In addition to social media platforms, the Intermediary Guidelines extend to digital news publications as well as streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime, among others.
From Slate • Sep. 20, 2021
Twitter has previously said it was making efforts to comply with India’s new Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, which came into force in May.
From The Verge • Jul. 6, 2021
Intermediary powers between Gods and men accorded to Genii or angels, 416-m.
From Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry by Pike, Albert
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.
