disintermediation

American  

[dis-in-ter-mee-dee-ey-shuhn] / ˌdɪs ɪn tərˌmi diˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of removing funds from savings banks and placing them into short-term investments on which the interest-rate yields are higher.

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disintermediation British  

/ dɪsˌɪntəˌmiːdɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. finance the elimination of such financial intermediaries as banks and brokers in transactions between principals, often as a result of deregulation and the use of computers

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Etymology

Origin of disintermediation

First recorded in 1965–70; dis- ¹ + intermediation

Example Sentences

“The market has suddenly turned into a sniper’s alley as the spotlight turns on sectors that could be disrupted by AI automation, disintermediation and obsolescence,” Deutsche Bank analyst Adrian Cox said Monday.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

The bigger threat from the internet, it turned out, was disintermediation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

And Jefferies analyst Brent Thill forecast “another year of gradual AI monetization, with more meaningful growth contribution/acceleration needed to ease AI disintermediation fears, thus requiring more selectivity.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

What I have taken advantage of is what so many, many, many, many other people have taken advantage of, which is today the total disintermediation of the public discourse.

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2022

That’s a separate trend that’s happening that is part of the disintermediation of distributors.

From The Verge • Mar. 15, 2022