mediate

Mediate means to help to settle a dispute or create agreement when there is conflict between two or more people or groups by acting as an intermediary or go-between for those parties.

A person who acts as an intermediary or go-between in this way can be called a mediator. The act or process of mediating is called mediation. Mediation always involves a mediator acting as an impartial third party to guide the communication between the conflicting parties.

Sometimes, mediation happens in an informal way. You might help two friends by mediating their argument. But the word is perhaps most commonly used in more specific ways in formal situations, such as when a mediator mediates a labor dispute between a company and its striking employees or when a mediator mediates a divorce for two spouses.

When mediation occurs in an official or legal context, such as when it has been ordered by a judge, it is often called arbitration. Arbitration usually involves a decision that the parties are bound by. Mediation is typically less formal and usually involves suggestions for settling differences, as opposed to binding decisions.

Example: I know you two have your differences, so I’d like to mediate a meeting to see if you can come to an understanding.

The first records of the word mediate come from around 1400. It comes from the Latin verb mediāre, meaning “to be in the middle” or “to intercede.” The words intermediary and medium are related.

Mediating involves interceding in the middle of a conflict. A mediator is not there to take sides but instead to help promote agreement or reconciliation. In other words, the point of mediation is to find common ground so that there is no longer a need to mediate. Successful mediation often involves compromise.

What are some other forms related to mediate?

• mediation (noun)
• mediator (noun)
• mediatorial (adjective)
• mediatory (adjective)

What are some synonyms for mediate?

• arbitrate
• intercede
• intervene

What are some words that share a root or word element with mediate? 

• remediation
• intermediary

What are some words that often get used in discussing mediate?

• parties
• conflict
• negotiation
• compromise
• agreement
• settlement
• dispute
• law

The word mediate can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

If you guys needs someone to mediate, I'm here for you. I hate seeing friends fight.

— Hello mudda, Gaetano Fadda🐛 (@HarpoGarza) April 28, 2019

I’m old enough to remember when people expected the United States to step in and help mediate conflicts between India and Pakistan.

— Scafe says wear a gd mask (@erinscafe) March 1, 2019

PG&E has agreed to mediate a dispute w/ a former financial analyst who claims she was fired for reporting "improper expenditures by several high-level employees at PG&E for personal, non-work-related items, resulting in overruns of millions of dollars." @CourthouseNews pic.twitter.com/0SBXnQJWXg

— Nicholas Iovino (@NicholasIovino) January 22, 2020

Which of the following words is a synonym of mediate?

A. arbitrate
B. intercede
C. intervene
D. all of the above