middleman
Americannoun
plural
middlemen-
a person who plays an economic role intermediate between producer and retailer or consumer.
-
a person who acts as an intermediary.
noun
-
an independent trader engaged in the distribution of goods from producer to consumer
-
an intermediary
-
theatre the interlocutor in minstrel shows
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.
Vocabulary lists containing middleman
History of India - Introductory
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History of India - Middle School and High School
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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.
"But we found that there was an unexpected middleman in that conversation, astrocytes."
From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026
Jeffries' lawyers argue that he is suffering with dementia and late onset of Alzheimer's disease and is unfit to face trial alongside his partner and their alleged middleman in October.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
They hold up as an example how credit-card companies may be disintermediated and see margins contract, but merchants and consumers would benefit by this process of eliminating the middleman, allowing economic activity to actually increase.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
How often does a president have the opportunity to speak to the American people directly, without a middleman?
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 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
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.
