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

Hamas has complained to mediators that more than 20 people have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on Friday.

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Hamas has told mediators that recovering the bodies would take weeks and require heavy equipment such as bulldozers and excavators, which aren’t currently permitted to enter Gaza.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The US and other mediators were looking at a program of rewards for people helping locate the bodies of dead hostages, he said.

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The growing unease comes as mediators meet in Egypt in a bid to bridge differences between Hamas and Israel, and keep the first phase of the ceasefire deal on track.

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Hamas had told mediators that it doesn’t know where all the bodies are, and Israel’s intelligence services agree many will be hard to find.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.