intermediary
Americannoun
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Pakistan, a key intermediary in negotiations, expressed "deep concern at escalation in regional tensions", according to its foreign office.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Payment settlement often involves an intermediary U.S. bank, though not always.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
In the months since then, Pakistan has managed to keep Trump on side, even playing the role of an intermediary between Washington, Tehran and the Arab capitals.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
A better way of insuring arbitrator impartiality is for both you and the firm to name an intermediary that chooses an arbitrator acceptable to both you and the firm.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
Agents demanded, through the intermediary, that Pike come forward.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
U.S. banks act as intermediaries when two banks lack direct accounts, or when a widely traded currency—typically the dollar—is needed to bridge the exchange of less common currencies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
U.S. banks act as intermediaries when two banks lack direct accounts, or when a widely traded currency—typically the dollar—is needed to bridge the exchange of less common currencies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Diaz-Canel said the government was also considering scrapping state intermediaries in import and export operations.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
It is illegal to pay ransoms in Nigeria, but analysts say payments by desperate families, intermediaries or, in some cases, state authorities have fuelled the abductions.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
The man fed them, whittled toys for the little girl, and, through a line of intermediaries, contacted the railroad.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
