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intercession

[in-ter-sesh-uh n]
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noun
  1. an act or instance of interceding.
  2. an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person.
  3. a prayer to God on behalf of another.
  4. Roman History. the interposing of a veto, as by a tribune.
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Origin of intercession

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin intercessiōn- (stem of intercessiō), equivalent to intercess(us) past participle of intercēdere to intercede (equivalent to interced- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix, with -dt- > -ss-) + -iōn- -ion
Related formsin·ter·ces·sion·al, adjectivepre·in·ter·ces·sion, noun
Can be confusedintercession intersession
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

appealrequestpetitionprayerintervention

Examples from the Web for intercession

Historical Examples

  • They are not seen; they are not heard, they are less-than nothing, and there is no intercession.

    Green Mansions

    W. H. Hudson

  • This morning he has visited me, to implore my intercession on his behalf.

    Calderon The Courtier

    Edward Bulwer-Lytton

  • I do desire, I do ask of Thee, and expect of Thee, the grace of prayer and intercession.

  • You have your own special work; make it a work of intercession.

  • In our intercession we may find that there is difficulty and delay with the answer.

British Dictionary definitions for intercession

intercession

noun
  1. the act or an instance of interceding
  2. the act of interceding or offering petitionary prayer to God on behalf of others
  3. such petitionary prayer
  4. Roman history the interposing of a veto by a tribune or other magistrate
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Derived Formsintercessional or intercessory, adjectiveintercessor, nounintercessorial, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Latin intercessio; see intercede
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for intercession

n.

early 15c., "act of interceding," from Latin intercessionem (nominative intercessio) "a going between," noun of action from past participle stem of intercedere (see intercede). The modern sense was not in classical Latin.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper