middleman

American  

[mid-l-man] / ˈmɪd lˌmæn /

noun

plural

middlemen

1. a person who plays an economic role intermediate between producer and retailer or consumer.

2. a person who acts as an intermediary.

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middleman British  

/ ˈmɪdəlˌmæn /

noun

1. an independent trader engaged in the distribution of goods from producer to consumer

2. an intermediary

3. theatre the interlocutor in minstrel shows

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Etymology

Origin of middleman

1400–50; late Middle English: maker of girdles; see middle, man

Explanation

A middleman is someone who works buying goods from one source and selling them to another. For example, if you are selling your house, your real estate agent acts as the middleman between you and the buyer. Anyone whose job involves buying and re-selling can be called a middleman, although sometimes the thing being sold is some kind of service rather than physical goods. One example of a middleman is a wholesaler who buys fruit and vegetables from farmers and then distributes them to large supermarkets. While sometimes it makes more sense for farmers to sell directly to stores, a middleman can simplify the process.

Example Sentences

"But we found that there was an unexpected middleman in that conversation, astrocytes."

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

It cuts out the middleman and offers more affordable prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Jury selection is currently scheduled for 26 October and a trial is expected to continue with Smith and their alleged middleman Jacobson, even if Jeffries is ruled incompetent.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Palantir bears have argued that the company is just an “AI wrapper” on top of existing large language models, making its technology a middleman that could be easily replaced or cut out.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

“Unfortunately, I’m the middleman by default. You’re still pissed about what he said at Sal’s, huh?”

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• go-between
• mediator
• wholesaler