intervene

[in-ter-veen]

verb (used without object)

intervened, intervening 

1. to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate.

   Synonyms: interpose, arbitrate

2. to occur or be between two things.

3. to occur or happen between other events or periods.

   Nothing important intervened between the meetings.

4. (of things) to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder.

   We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened.

5. to interfere with force or a threat of force.

   to intervene in the affairs of another country.

6. Law.,  to interpose and become a party to a suit pending between other parties.

intervene

/ ˌɪntəˈviːn /

verb

1. (often foll by in) to take a decisive or intrusive role (in) in order to modify or determine events or their outcome

2. to come or be (among or between)

3. (of a period of time) to occur between events or points in time

4. (of an event) to disturb or hinder a course of action

5. economics to take action to affect the market forces of an economy, esp to maintain the stability of a currency

6. law to interpose and become a party to a legal action between others, esp in order to protect one's interests

Other Word Forms

• reintervene verb (used without object)
• unintervening adjective
• intervener noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intervene¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin intervenīre “to come between,” from inter- inter- + venīre “to come”; basis, come

Word History and Origins

Origin of intervene¹

C16: from Latin intervenīre to come between, from _inter- + venīre to come

Example Sentences

The Ministry of Finance doesn’t disclose the levels at which it intervenes, but markets have paired previous surges in the currency to levels between 157 and 161 yen to the dollar.

Read more on Barron's

It said some of the reported incidents gave "little notice to a driver or opportunity to intervene".

Read more on BBC

Tesla requires drivers to be fully engaged and ready to intervene in case of problems when they use FSD.

Read more on MarketWatch

Often, the Fed minutes—released with a three-week lag—can be stale because intervening economic data releases have shed new light on the outlook in ways that resolve divisions over the appropriate path for policy.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Yet, employers can generally intervene in personal relationships when there is a clear, justified reason to do so, such as managing a conflict of interest or rooting out harassment, legal specialists said.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• arbitrate 
• intercede 
• interfere 
• involve 
• meddle 
• negotiate