mediator
Americannoun
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mediator
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Anglo-French mediatur, Old French mediatour, from Latin mediātor “go-between, intermediary”; see mediate, -tor
Explanation
A mediator is a person who helps negotiate between two feuding parties. When a married couple is considering getting divorced, they sometimes hire a mediator to help them come to an agreement, and possibly even avoid divorce. The word mediator goes back to the Latin word medius, which means middle. A mediator is supposed to remain in the neutral middle rather than taking one side over another, in order to help both sides resolve a dispute. Mediators negotiate between employers and employees, disputing couples, and in schools helping kids work out their conflicts peacefully rather than fighting on the playground or lunchroom.
Vocabulary lists containing mediator
Interpreter of Maladies
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The Lost Hero
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How Dare the Sun Rise
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Among those targeted by Iran were Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks which had not been attacked since April, and the UAE, which had not been attacked since May.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
If it all still seems too hard, a mediator can help.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, was visiting key mediator Pakistan on Tuesday, state media reported.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
In parallel, mediator Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Saturday for meetings with officials, Iranian media reported.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
Methuselah also attended to act as mediator and counselor, approving some ideas while discouraging others, calming the hothead and encouraging the timid.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
A U.S. official and mediators said Iran and Oman were still far apart on some issues, including whether to charge fees for transit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Under another plan proposed by mediators, Iran, the U.S. and Oman would coordinate on navigation in the waterway, according to senior regional officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei had previously said that diplomatic exchanges with Washington through mediators were continuing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Oil prices hit one-month highs before scaling back as Iran said diplomatic exchanges with the United States were ongoing via mediators.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
But when Inkatha was informed that the election date was not subject to mediation, they refused to see the mediators, who left without talking to anyone.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
