intermediate

¹

[in-ter-mee-dee-eyt]

verb (used without object)

intermediated, intermediating 

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

intermediate

²

[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

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of intermediate¹

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

Origin of intermediate²

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

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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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Related Words

• transitional