intermediate

¹

[in-ter-mee-dee-it]

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.

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

[in-ter-mee-dee-eyt]

verb (used without object)

intermediated, intermediating 

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

intermediate

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

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

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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of intermediate¹

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

Example Sentences

At intermediate intensity, the expansion stage is followed by a reduction in the radius observed in X-ray images.

Read more on Science Daily

Patients with intermediate or high scores are usually offered cholesterol-lowering medication and sometimes additional diagnostic testing.

Read more on Science Daily

These radicals are highly useful intermediates in natural product synthesis and pharmaceutical research, but most available techniques are designed for aryl ketones rather than simpler alkyl ketones.

Read more on Science Daily

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

Read more on BBC

Norris was not especially fast on the extreme wet tyres, but once on to the intermediate tyres in the final session was consistently the fastest driver on track.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• transitional