intermediary

American  

[in-ter-mee-dee-er-ee] / ˌɪn tərˈmi diˌɛr i /

noun

• intermediaries
  plural

1. an intermediate agent or agency; a go-between or mediator.

   Synonyms:

   umpire, arbitrator

2. a medium or means.

3. an intermediate form or stage.

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adjective

1. being between; intermediate.

2. acting between persons, parties, etc.; serving as an intermediate agent or agency.

   an intermediary power.

intermediary British  

/ ˌɪntəˈmiːdɪərɪ /

noun

1. a person who acts as a mediator or agent between parties

2. something that acts as a medium or means

3. an intermediate state or period

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adjective

1. acting as an intermediary

2. situated, acting, or coming between; intermediate

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• intermediaries
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intermediary intermediaries

It is an exchange, a neutral intermediary that never takes a side.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Shehu’s lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, says Shehu is neither a drug dealer nor a land thief, and he never dealt directly with Kushner—only acting through an intermediary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

According to the Wall Street Journal, intermediary countries including Qatar have outlined proposals to revive the ceasefire.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

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

He or she should be in another room entirely, answering questions by e-mail or through the use of an intermediary.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Authorities have focused on several entities that served as intermediaries between the Walter-controlled insurance companies that made the loans and the Walter-controlled businesses that received them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

He denied on Sunday that Iran was negotiating with the United States, saying they were merely "exchanging messages" via intermediaries.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

The fact that the money goes through intermediaries doesn’t change the fundamentals of the arrangement.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 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

The rest of the room was crowded with the attachments that were the intermediaries between The Brain and the outside world—its voice, its arms, its sense organs.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Related Words

• broker
• emissary
• go-between
• mediator
• negotiator