Vocabulary in context
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Intermediary
A person who acts as a go-between to help two parties communicate or reach an agreement; a mediator.
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Imagine This
Imagine a calm negotiator standing between two arguing coworkers, passing messages and smoothing terms so they can shake hands.
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Sounds Like
IN-ter-MID-ee-air-ee
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Looks Like
inter + mediary (between + mediator)
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Remember This
An intermediary stands between parties to facilitate communication or negotiation; the role is common in business, diplomacy, and dispute resolution.
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Other Forms
intermediaryadjective
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Connect With
mediator, go-between, liaison, middleman, arbitrator
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Note
Intermediary can be used as both a noun and an adjective (intermediary role, intermediary steps). Distinguish from related terms like 'mediate' (to negotiate) and 'intermediate' (between two stages).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The mediator acted as the intermediary to resolve the dispute between the two companies.
- An intermediary was appointed to facilitate the contract negotiations.
Synonyms
mediatorgo-betweenliaisonmiddlemanintermediary agent
Antonyms
directunmediated
Etymology
From Latin intermedius meaning between or middle, from inter- 'between' + medius 'middle'; via Old French intermédiaire.
Mnemonic
IN-ter-MEDI-ary: remember 'medi' as in mediation—the go-between who sits in the middle between two parties.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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