intercede
Americanverb (used without object)
-
intercedes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interceded,
past participle, past
-
interceding
present participle
-
to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition.
to intercede with the governor for a condemned man.
- Synonyms:
- intervene
-
to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate.
- Synonyms:
- intervene
-
Roman History. (of a tribune or other magistrate) to interpose a veto.
verb
-
(often foll by in) to come between parties or act as mediator or advocate
to intercede in the strike
-
Roman history (of a tribune or other magistrate) to interpose a veto
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
intercedesimple
-
intercedessimple
-
have intercededperfect
-
has intercededperfect
-
am intercedingprogressive
-
are intercedingprogressive
-
is intercedingprogressive
-
have been intercedingperfect progressive
-
has been intercedingperfect progressive
Past
-
intercededsimple
-
had intercededperfect
-
was intercedingprogressive
-
were intercedingprogressive
-
had been intercedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intercede
From the Latin word intercēdere, dating back to 1570–80. See inter-, cede
Explanation
When you intercede, you try to help people work out their differences or achieve something, like when you intercede on your friend's behalf to encourage your boss to hire him, or when feuding friends ask you to intercede, guiding them to sort out their differences. The verb intercede comes from the Latin root words inter, meaning "between," and cedere, meaning "go." Acting as a go-between is exactly what you do when you intercede. Maybe you are the peacemaker, or you play matchmaker, or you just bring people to work out their problems. Sometimes people pray that God will intercede in their lives, meaning bring change that improves a situation.
Vocabulary lists containing intercede
Power Prefix: inter-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Christmas Carol
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Metamorphosis," Vocabulary from the novella
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
On Monday, she met with Pope Leo in Rome and asked him “to intercede for all Venezuelans who remain kidnapped and disappeared.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
This is now the third time in a matter of weeks this Court has had to intercede in a case squarely controlled by one of its precedents.
From Slate ● Jan. 3, 2026
Levenson said it’s unlikely Hochman could intercede, however, if Ryan grants the resentencing petition before Gascón leaves office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2024
Travis County Judge Jessica Mangrum granted a temporary order halting the execution just 90 minutes before it was scheduled to take place after Governor Greg Abbott and the United States Supreme Court declined to intercede.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2024
They implored me to let them; and when I said it was Dr. Van Helsing’s wish that either he or I should sit up, they asked me quite piteously to intercede with the “foreign gentleman.”
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
The new mission of the Slatest is to explain the biggest story of the day, but sometimes the story of the year intercedes.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
"Where this work intercedes is thinking about how to inject something beforehand that would help boost or enhance the amount of signal that is available to collect in the same small sample."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 2024
"The longer that talks go on, the greater the chance that the conflict intercedes," said Henry Rome, Iran analyst at consultancy Eurasia.
From Reuters ● Mar. 1, 2022
Whether or not you are religious, there is comfort in the idea of a higher power, a force beyond the mundane that organizes and intercedes in your life as it unfolds.
From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2022
But when he said, “We will now pray to the spirit in our own words, for the spirit intercedes for us in accordance with His will,” the silence was broken.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Recently, the agency interceded on Home Depot’s behalf in a case pending before the Supreme Court.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Legends surrounding St. Nicholas’ generosity appear in texts ranging from medieval manuscripts to modern-day poems, including how he interceded on behalf of wrongly condemned prisoners and miraculously saved sailors from storms.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2023
Some witnesses told police that the suspect was a good Samaritan who interceded when the man who was killed assaulted a woman, according to KTLA-TV.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2023
He said a number of other employees had complained about Bing, and he believes Walmart should have interceded more forcefully.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 4, 2022
‘That is a regular measurement in Canada and the rest of the world. Only you Americans -’ ‘About five or six football fields,’ Hazel interceded, feeding Arion a big chunk of gold.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Dodie Osteen said interceding for those in need is a fulfilling ministry.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 19, 2023
The cornerstone of the college’s mental health initiative is interceding and introducing students to services early as well as approaching students directly instead of hoping they reach out themselves.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2022
One recruiting pipeline has consistently filled some of our hardest and most important jobs during the interceding generations: new military members mostly come from military families.
From Salon ● Nov. 11, 2021
In that event, Verrastro foresees an international coalition, including China and Japan, interceding in the Persian Gulf region to secure the vast amounts of petroleum and natural gas that are vital to their survival.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2019
Aged about twelve, she may have protected Smith, but not, as he wrote, by interceding when he was a captive and about to be executed in 1607.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
