intermediate
1 Americanadjective
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being, situated, or acting between two points, stages, things, persons, etc..
the intermediate steps in a procedure.
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of or relating to an intermediate school.
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Automotive. mid-size.
noun
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a person who acts between others; intermediary; mediator.
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something intermediate, as a form or class.
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Chemistry. a derivative of the initial material formed before the desired product of a chemical process.
verb (used without object)
adjective
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occurring or situated between two points, extremes, places, etc; in between
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(of a class, course, etc) suitable for learners with some degree of skill or competence
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physics (of a neutron) having an energy between 100 and 100 000 electronvolts
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geology (of such igneous rocks as syenite) containing between 55 and 66 per cent silica
noun
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something intermediate
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a substance formed during one of the stages of a chemical process before the desired product is obtained
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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intermediacynoun
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intermediatenessnoun
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intermediationnoun
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intermediatornoun
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intermediatoryadjective
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intermediatelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intermediatesimple
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intermediatessimple
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have intermediatedperfect
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has intermediatedperfect
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are intermediatingprogressive
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am intermediatingprogressive
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is intermediatingprogressive
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have been intermediatingperfect progressive
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has been intermediatingperfect progressive
Past
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intermediatedsimple
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had intermediatedperfect
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was intermediatingprogressive
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were intermediatingprogressive
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had been intermediatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intermediate1
1615–25; < Medieval Latin intermediātus, equivalent to Latin intermedi ( us ) intermediary ( inter- inter- + medius middle, in the middle) + -ātus -ate 1
Origin of intermediate2
1600–10; < Medieval Latin intermediātus, past participle of intermediāre. See inter-, mediate
Explanation
Use the adjective intermediate when you find yourself in that in-between stage, like after you complete an introductory class but before you are ready for the advanced stuff. The word intermediate comes from the Latin intermediatus, tracing back to intermedius, which combines inter-, meaning “between” and medius, meaning “middle.” So you can see that intermediate describes something or someone in the middle, between two distinct phases, like an intermediate swimmer who has mastered the basic strokes but isn't yet ready to join the racing team.
Vocabulary lists containing intermediate
Power Prefix: inter-
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Four Power Prefixes: anti-, con-, inter-, and uni-.
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Unit 2: Evolution
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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.
Both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures fell more than 5% from their Friday settle price.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
In early European trading, Brent crude fell 4.4% to $83.45 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures were down 5% to $80.60 a barrel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures fell more than 5% from their Friday settle price.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
Brent crude fell 4.4% to $83.45 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures were down 5% to $80.60 a barrel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
That summer Lindsey Lloyd and I traded off for high point in the Intermediate Girls Division at each of the Eastern Montana Federation swim meets.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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.
