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; middle, man

Example Sentences

But the bloc’s ability to enforce the ban will be hampered by the network of storage terminals, middlemen and refineries that obscure the origin of fuel flowing into the continent.

From The Wall Street Journal

The endeavor taught him the ropes of product distribution, and how to maximize profit by cutting out middlemen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Standing amid an array of workstations, a volunteer explained how his team identified sympathetic individuals to buy medicine and food from Damascus, and middlemen who bribed supplies past government checkpoints into Sweida.

From Los Angeles Times

But Zillow gets only a small percentage of its traffic from search engine marketing, and managing real estate listings is highly complex and regulated, limiting the risk of disintermediation—or cutting out middlemen.

From The Wall Street Journal

But after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it has turned to a more opaque network of middlemen to evade scrutiny.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• go-between
• mediator
• wholesaler