mediator

[mee-dee-ey-ter]

noun

1. a person who mediates, especially between parties at variance.

Other Word Forms

• mediatorship noun
• undermediator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mediator¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Anglo-French mediatur, Old French mediatour, from Latin mediātor “go-between, intermediary”; mediate, -tor

Example Sentences

On November 6, the RSF announced they had agreed to a proposal for a humanitarian truce put forward by the international mediators.

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Questions you should ask a potential mediator/therapist: How much do you charge?

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Hamas has told mediators its personnel should be able to keep small arms.

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Qatar, a key mediator in the Hamas-Israel war, on Thursday condemned fresh Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, saying they threatened to upend a fragile weeks-long truce.

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Gaza health authorities said fresh Israeli air strikes killed four people Thursday as Qatar, a mediator of the weeks-long ceasefire, warned that renewed attacks threatened to undermine the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas.

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Related Words

• advocate 
• arbiter 
• arbitrator 
• broker 
• go-between 
• intermediary 
• judge 
• negotiator www.thesaurus.com
• peacemaker 
• referee 
• troubleshooter 

When To Use

What does mediator mean?

A mediator is a person who mediates—helps 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.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 act as a mediator for 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 and is performed by an arbitrator. 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 act as a mediator while you talk it out and try to come to an understanding.