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

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has intermediated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have intermediated
  perfect
• has been intermediating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is intermediating
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are intermediating
  progressive
• intermediates
  singular 3rd person
• intermediating
  participle
• am intermediating
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been intermediating
  perfect progressive

Past

• had intermediated
  perfect
• was intermediating
  progressive singular
• were intermediating
  progressive plural
• intermediated
  participle
• intermediated
  simple
• 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

Some 58% performed at an intermediate level in reading in 2025 compared to 63% in 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

But over the short and even intermediate terms, lasting not just several years but decades, gold’s correlation to inflation is unstable.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

At the state track and field championships, Jayden Rendon of Carson was in the lead of the 300 intermediate hurdles on Saturday when he struck the final hurdle and fell to the ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Both drivers took to the start on the treaded intermediate tyres, despite a dry track, hoping to benefit from the cold conditions.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

As physicists built bigger and more ambitious machines, they began to find or postulate particles or particle families seemingly without number: muons, pions, hyperons, mesons, K-mesons, Higgs bosons, intermediate vector bosons, baryons, tachyons.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• transitional