intermediary

American  

[in-ter-mee-dee-er-ee] / ˌɪn tərˈmi diˌɛr i /

noun

intermediaries plural

1. an intermediate agent or agency; a go-between or mediator.

   Synonyms:

   umpire, arbitrator

2. a medium or means.

3. an intermediate form or stage.

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adjective

1. being between; intermediate.

2. acting between persons, parties, etc.; serving as an intermediate agent or agency.

   an intermediary power.

intermediary British  

/ ˌɪntəˈmiːdɪərɪ /

noun

1. a person who acts as a mediator or agent between parties

2. something that acts as a medium or means

3. an intermediate state or period

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adjective

1. acting as an intermediary

2. situated, acting, or coming between; intermediate

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• intermediaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of intermediary

1785–95; < Late Latin intermedi ( um ) intervening place + -ary; see intermediate ¹

Explanation

An intermediary is someone who acts as a go-between or a mediator between two other people. Be careful when you're the intermediary between two friends who are fighting, because they might both end up mad at you! The word intermediary comes from the Latin intermedius, which is also the root word for intermediate. Inter- means between, and medius means the middle — intermediary retains that sense of being in the middle. Intermediaries are used to negotiate between two countries who are at odds, between a company and a client over a contract, between two bickering children, or between a boss and an employee in salary negotiations.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intermediary intermediaries

According to the Wall Street Journal, intermediary countries including Qatar have outlined proposals to revive the ceasefire.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

Pakistan, a key intermediary in negotiations, expressed "deep concern at escalation in regional tensions", according to its foreign office.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

The role of any public officer, private individual, financial institution or intermediary that may have facilitated the alleged scheme.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

A better way of insuring arbitrator impartiality is for both you and the firm to name an intermediary that chooses an arbitrator acceptable to both you and the firm.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

The city was therefore in a position to serve, Janus-like, as an intermediary between the African interior and potential markets overseas.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

He stressed, however, that new laws will come into force in August, which will allow all international students to apply directly to vocational training schools in Finland, rather than through intermediaries.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

However, the FTC conducted a study finding eight different companies functioned as intermediaries to facilitate surveillance pricing for over 250 companies across grocery,  apparel, home goods, convenience, car rentals, online casinos and more.

From Salon ● May 18, 2026

The way big AI labs work with Mercor and other intermediaries who use contractors can make responsibility for data provenance more ambiguous, Longpre said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

To manage traffic and avoid any incidents, "the Americans are the main intermediaries", the pilot said.

From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026

The entire food chain of intermediaries in the subprime mortgage market was duping itself with the same trick, using the foreshortened, statistically meaningless past to predict the future.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• broker
• emissary
• go-between
• mediator
• negotiator