intervene
Americanverb (used without object)
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to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate.
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to occur or be between two things.
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to occur or happen between other events or periods.
Nothing important intervened between the meetings.
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(of things) to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder.
We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened.
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to interfere with force or a threat of force.
to intervene in the affairs of another country.
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Law. to interpose and become a party to a suit pending between other parties.
verb
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(often foll by in) to take a decisive or intrusive role (in) in order to modify or determine events or their outcome
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to come or be (among or between)
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(of a period of time) to occur between events or points in time
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(of an event) to disturb or hinder a course of action
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economics to take action to affect the market forces of an economy, esp to maintain the stability of a currency
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law to interpose and become a party to a legal action between others, esp in order to protect one's interests
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intervenesimple
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intervenessimple
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have intervenedperfect
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has intervenedperfect
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am interveningprogressive
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are interveningprogressive
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is interveningprogressive
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have been interveningperfect progressive
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has been interveningperfect progressive
Past
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intervenedsimple
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had intervenedperfect
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was interveningprogressive
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were interveningprogressive
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had been interveningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intervene
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin intervenīre “to come between,” from inter- inter- + venīre “to come”; see also basis, come
Explanation
From the Latin "intervenire," meaning “to come between,” the verb intervene means just that: to get involved, to jump in the middle of something, to interfere. The verb intervene was first recorded around 1600. Since then there haven't been many interventions in its meaning or usage. You should probably intervene in a heated verbal fight between two of your friends before it escalates and gets physical. Especially if they're debating the United States’ habit of intervening in international conflicts.
Vocabulary lists containing intervene
Power Prefix: inter-
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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:
Supreme Court to intervene while the appeal continues.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Anyone can become a victim,” Ali Torre said, “Our goal is to intervene and prevent. There are little boys we can have conversations with: ‘You don’t have to repeat the cycle.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The Kill Switch Act, he said, will ensure there is a method for the government to quickly intervene in such a situation.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had previously said that his country had no intention to intervene in Lebanon, despite Trump's repeated calls for him to do so.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
She dragged her feet all the way as if someone might intervene.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
But it suggested that Beijing views an amphibious assault on Taiwan as risky and likely to fail, particularly if the U.S. intervenes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
At several points, Ratner intervenes to prod Trump into sharing more about herself.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
That kind of analysis identifies disparities in outcomes, assesses whether they are justified by legitimate objectives, and intervenes when they are not.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2026
A fan suing LeBron James in small-claims court after buying Lakers tickets thinking the NBA icon was retiring drops the case after a sports-betting app intervenes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
“Vegetables are good for you; your mother says so too. Have some more,” she insists, until Father intervenes and upholds my right to refuse a dish I don’t like.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Earlier in the deposition, Cooper said he had previously intervened when the two rappers encountered each other outside a recording studio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The Secret Service intervened on the return trip because the Qatari plane lacked basic defensive countermeasures needed to protect the president amid escalating hostilities with Iran.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Congress has intervened in the past to prevent Social Security from running out of funds.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
While they were detained, an aide who was with Khanna said they made appeals to the US Embassy in Jerusalem for help, and were released after a group of police officers intervened.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“Once you’ve finished cleaning your room for the day,” Mom intervened, “then Dad will give you an hour or two on the family computer. Right?”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Uefa - European football's governing body - said intervening to effectively cancel a suspension at a tournament "crossed a red line".
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Rather than respond to every claim, Logan says his office picks its battles, intervening only when a falsehood appears likely to reach a wide audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
By waiting until the initial healing process was complete, the researchers allowed the body to respond normally before intervening.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
The intervening period will be dogged by questions about the deal’s still-secret specifics, which have yet to be confirmed by all sides in public statements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Beyond them, above the intervening woods, rose the fourteen-story tower of Elstead.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
