intervention

American  

[in-ter-ven-shuhn] / ˌɪn tərˈvɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act or fact of coming or occurring between two people, things, or times.

   Squabbling siblings generally work things out themselves, but this fight called for parental intervention.

   Even the intervention of 20 years hadn’t erased their mutual dislike.

2. interposition or interference of one state in the affairs of another.

   The UN’s prohibition of armed intervention in the civil war can easily be criticized as antihumanitarian.

3. a planned confrontation of someone engaging in self-destructive behavior, such as substance abuse, to convince them to seek treatment.

   She thought her drinking was a well-kept secret until she came home to find six of her siblings and friends ready to conduct an intervention.

4. Education. a targeted short-term teaching strategy for students with specific needs.

   Reading interventions kept several of her students from having to switch to remedial classes.

5. Medicine/Medical. a treatment, procedure, or other action taken to prevent or treat disease, or to improve health in other ways.

   The patient has responded well to nonpharmacological interventions for high blood pressure.

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intervention British  

/ ˌɪntəˈvɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of intervening

2. any interference in the affairs of others, esp by one state in the affairs of another

3. economics the action of a central bank in supporting the international value of a currency by buying large quantities of the currency to keep the price up

4. commerce the action of the EU in buying up surplus produce when the market price drops to a certain value

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Other Word Forms

• interventional adjective
• interventionary adjective
• prointervention adjective
• reintervention noun

Etymology

Origin of intervention

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin interventiōn-, stem of interventiō “interruption, occurrence”; equivalent to intervene + -tion

Example Sentences

The Treasury market moved in a listless fashion on Tuesday in response to the U.S. intervention in Venezuela — with traders more focused on a busy calendar week that includes Friday’s jobs report for December.

From MarketWatch

For a U.S. intervention like the one currently unfolding, “we would see the impacts through two different channels,” he added.

From MarketWatch

That’s an area that includes not only Cuba, Colombia and Greenland, already seen as likely targets for U.S. military intervention, but also parts of Western Europe and Africa.

From MarketWatch

Dozens of protesters for and against US intervention in Venezuela gathered Monday outside a federal court in New York, where ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appeared for his first court hearing.

From Barron's

Two-legged robots have a tendency to fall over and “need human intervention to get back up,” like tortoises fallen on their backs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• interference
• mediation