intermediate

¹ American  

[in-ter-mee-dee-it] / ˌɪn tərˈmi di ɪt /

adjective

1. being, situated, or acting between two points, stages, things, persons, etc..

   the intermediate steps in a procedure.

2. of or relating to an intermediate school.

3. Automotive. mid-size.

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noun

• intermediates
  plural

1. a person who acts between others; intermediary; mediator.

2. something intermediate, as a form or class.

3. Chemistry. a derivative of the initial material formed before the desired product of a chemical process.

intermediate ² American  

[in-ter-mee-dee-eyt] / ˌɪn tərˈmi diˌeɪt /

verb (used without object)

• intermediates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• intermediated,
  past participle,  past
• intermediating
  present participle

1. to act as an intermediary; intervene; mediate.

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intermediate British  

adjective

1. occurring or situated between two points, extremes, places, etc; in between

2. (of a class, course, etc) suitable for learners with some degree of skill or competence

3. physics (of a neutron) having an energy between 100 and 100 000 electronvolts

4. geology (of such igneous rocks as syenite) containing between 55 and 66 per cent silica

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noun

1. something intermediate

2. a substance formed during one of the stages of a chemical process before the desired product is obtained

verb

1. (intr) to act as an intermediary or mediator

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intermediacy
  noun
• intermediateness
  noun
• intermediation
  noun
• intermediator
  noun
• intermediatory
  adjective
• intermediately
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intermediates
  plural

Participles

• intermediating
  present
• intermediated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• intermediate
  simple
• intermediates
  simple
• have intermediated
  perfect
• has intermediated
  perfect
• am intermediating
  progressive
• are intermediating
  progressive
• is intermediating
  progressive
• have been intermediating
  perfect progressive
• has been intermediating
  perfect progressive

Past

• intermediated
  simple
• had intermediated
  perfect
• was intermediating
  progressive
• were intermediating
  progressive
• had been intermediating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will intermediate
  simple
• will have intermediated
  perfect
• will be intermediating
  progressive
• will have been intermediating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of intermediate¹

1615–25; < Medieval Latin intermediātus, equivalent to Latin intermedi ( us ) intermediary ( inter- inter- + medius middle, in the middle) + -ātus -ate ¹

Origin of intermediate²

1600–10; < Medieval Latin intermediātus, past participle of intermediāre. See inter-, mediate

Explanation

Use the adjective intermediate when you find yourself in that in-between stage, like after you complete an introductory class but before you are ready for the advanced stuff. The word intermediate comes from the Latin intermediatus, tracing back to intermedius, which combines inter-, meaning “between” and medius, meaning “middle.” So you can see that intermediate describes something or someone in the middle, between two distinct phases, like an intermediate swimmer who has mastered the basic strokes but isn't yet ready to join the racing team.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intermediate intermediates intermediated intermediating

"By revealing intermediate states, our method could help design materials that can be efficiently controlled using light," explains Ishikawa.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

The team from Science Tokyo, Tohoku University, and Nagoya Institute of Technology combined ultrafast laser spectroscopy with theoretical calculations to uncover a previously unknown intermediate electronic state that helps drive the transformation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

No longer just a producer of low-value consumer goods, the nation now is exporting more of the higher-value intermediate and capital goods that underpin global manufacturing, such as chips, precision machinery and robotic arms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

China is shifting from producing cheap consumer goods to exporting higher-value intermediate and capital goods that underpin global manufacturing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

One by one, each aircrew dropped their bombs and then returned to their intermediate airfield to refuel.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

In simpler terms, the catalyst carefully manages highly reactive radical intermediates so they drive the desired transformation without causing unwanted side reactions.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2026

But once the track was dry enough for intermediates in the final session, Norris was the pace-setter.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025

That suggests Norris had previously been managing his pace to contain the wear on his intermediates.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2025

This facilitates the reaction of the intermediates with each other to make a polyester, which gels into solid particles that can easily be separated out.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2024

How many intermediates are there between you and President Reagan?

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Analyst Thomas Strong says funding costs are the biggest surprise in Judo’s trading update and he sees them benefiting further from the Australian business lender’s previously announced introduction of intermediated savings deposits from next month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

Critically, it said a digital dollar would "best suit" U.S. needs if it were intermediated through the current financial system.

From Reuters ● Jan. 20, 2022

Speech has never been more free or less intermediated, says Nesrine Malik.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 3, 2019

If Judge Leon believes HBO Now customers are intermediated by a distributor like Apple, then he should believe the exact same thing about Netflix.

From The Verge ● Jun. 15, 2018

Funds and assistance for the preparation of intermediated drafts and logistics support for all stages of preparation of this guide were provided by Biological Systems, Inc.,

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by David Caldwell

Banks like JPMorgan have been reckoning with the growing popularity of stablecoins, which threaten the traditional role that they have played in intermediating payments between customers around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

We were intermediating and we were hedging our risk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

Dealers typically support market liquidity by intermediating customer trades - for example, by taking customer sell orders into inventory when buyers are absent.

From Reuters ● Nov. 8, 2022

Uber embraced the mayor's decision, calling it "the first step toward guaranteeing that apps intermediating travel with technology have a place in the city."

From Reuters ● May 10, 2016

Intermediā′tion, act of intermediating; Intermē′dium, a medium between: an intervening agent or instrument.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Related Words

• transitional