intermediate

[ in-ter-mee-dee-it ]

See synonyms for: intermediate intermediated intermediates intermediating on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being, situated, or acting between two points, stages, things, persons, etc.: the intermediate steps in a procedure.
of or relating to an intermediate school.

Automotive. mid-size.

noun

a person who acts between others; intermediary; mediator.
something intermediate, as a form or class.

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

Origin of intermediate

1615–25; <Medieval Latin intermediātus, equivalent to Latin intermedi(us) intermediary (inter-inter- + mediusmiddle, in the middle) + -ātus-ate¹

Other words from intermediate

in·ter·me·di·ate·ly, adverb
in·ter·me·di·ate·ness, noun

Words Nearby intermediate

Other definitions for intermediate (2 of 2)

intermediate²

[ in-ter-mee-dee-eyt ]

verb (used without object),in·ter·me·di·at·ed, in·ter·me·di·at·ing.

to act as an intermediary; intervene; mediate.

Origin of intermediate

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

Other words from intermediate

in·ter·me·di·a·tor, noun
in·ter·me·di·a·to·ry [in-ter-mee-dee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ˌɪn tərˈmi di əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use intermediate in a sentence

Hospitalizations are often an intermediate step between rising cases and increased mortality.
The new Covid-19 case surge in Europe, explained | Julia Belluz | September 17, 2020 | Vox
Interestingly, among the three target depths, SOE on intermediate passes appears to be the most stable year to year.
Our New Metric Shows How Good NFL Receivers Are At Creating Separation | Josh Hermsmeyer | August 10, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
The intermediate SOE leaderboard includes seasons from receivers like Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Danny Amendola, Cooper Kupp and Adam Humphries, all of whom are generally regarded as skilled route runners.
Our New Metric Shows How Good NFL Receivers Are At Creating Separation | Josh Hermsmeyer | August 10, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Since depth of target is so important in determining separation, we grouped plays into buckets — depending on whether a pass attempt was short, intermediate or deep — and created an SOE leaderboard for each.
Our New Metric Shows How Good NFL Receivers Are At Creating Separation | Josh Hermsmeyer | August 10, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Pangolins or another animal might still have been an intermediate host before the virus made it to humans.
Close relatives of the coronavirus may have been in bats for decades | Erin Garcia de Jesus | July 28, 2020 | Science News

That leaves a huge gap in the middle, where intermediate black holes (IMBHs) could exist.
The Goldilocks of Black Holes | Matthew R. Francis | August 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Obama scaled that back to interceptors of intermediate-range missiles.
Take John McCain’s Russia Advice and You Might Get Another Cold War | Michael Tomasky | March 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Geniuses joined the realm of intermediate beings, alternately exalted and tormented by celestial visions.
What is a Genius? | Nick Romeo | November 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Terrain is classified as 27 percent easier; 41 percent intermediate; 32 percent most difficult.
Olympians Dish on Their Favorite Spots to Ski & Snowboard | The Daily Beast | October 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Roughly 25 percent is rated beginner terrain; 45 percent intermediate; and 30 percent expert.
Olympians Dish on Their Favorite Spots to Ski & Snowboard | The Daily Beast | October 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
But between the phase of schooling and the phase of adult learning there is an intermediate stage.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
We now proceed to learn the eighteen kings intermediate between William II.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The instruction ranges from history and geography to practical seamanship, with all the intermediate scientific subjects.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
Fragment, apparently from a columnar mass, of a stone intermediate between clink-stone and compact felspar.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
The Pygmies of the Central African forests seem similarly to occupy an intermediate position in the development of language.
Man And His Ancestor | Charles Morris

British Dictionary definitions for intermediate

intermediate

adjective(ˌɪntəˈmiːdɪɪt)

occurring or situated between two points, extremes, places, etc; in between
(of a class, course, etc) suitable for learners with some degree of skill or competence

physics (of a neutron) having an energy between 100 and 100 000 electronvolts
geology (of such igneous rocks as syenite) containing between 55 and 66 per cent silica

noun(ˌɪntəˈmiːdɪɪt)

something intermediate
a substance formed during one of the stages of a chemical process before the desired product is obtained

verb(ˌɪntəˈmiːdɪˌeɪt)

(intr) to act as an intermediary or mediator

Origin of intermediate

C17: from Medieval Latin intermediāre to intervene, from Latin inter- + medius middle

Derived forms of intermediate

intermediacy or intermediateness, noun
intermediately, adverb
intermediation, noun
intermediator, noun

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

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