intervene
Americanverb (used without object)
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intervenes,
present (3rd person singular)
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intervened,
past participle, past
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intervening
present participle
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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:
"If we can detect those changes and intervene earlier, that could help delay the onset of central nervous system symptoms."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 10, 2026
She just wanted to teach Martin a lesson, but soon, social services intervene to determine whether the elderly couple has to be separated for Leslie’s safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
"We also need to be able to intervene earlier before haze pollution reaches Singapore. We therefore have to strengthen our laws, and we must act quickly."
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
"We intervene where we can. But, at the end of the day, it's your business. It's your charity. It's your life. You need to make the choice and choose wisely."
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
“Dobby, you can sleep, all right? But has either of you found out anything?” he hastened to ask, before Hermione could intervene again.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
The pilot intervenes seconds before it could crash into us, sending the device swerving away with a flick of his finger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
The Bank of Japan intervenes in the market under the instruction of the ministry to ease economic damage from sharp fluctuations in exchange rates.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
The Economist's editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes questioned Musk on a range of topics, from whether he believed big tech executives should work together to tackle AI safety risks to why he intervenes in European politics.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
We can see Houghton’s play in these moments, but then Alloway’s cheeky pop sensibility intervenes, the arch artificiality and ironic tone draining the emotional impact.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
“I think what Clara is trying to say,” Dad intervenes, “is that this could be a good opportunity for us as a family.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
The Times reported today that Nvidia intervened last year to derail a Commerce Department investigation into whether Alice Huang’s company was smuggling chips into China.
From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2026
Wanrong shared Puyi’s enjoyment of these pastimes, and their snapshots capture “moments of fun and happiness” that show what might have been if politics had not later intervened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Vrancken intervened on the touchline when it appeared that Magnusson was about to be sent back into the fray.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
In a message on X, the police said officers had "intervened early this morning... to put an end to these illegal encampments".
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Then World War II intervened and Oppenheimer himself became closely involved in the atom bomb project.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Their work could eventually identify new targets for treatments and lead to strategies for intervening earlier in developmental processes associated with autism.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
If you buy maturity-based exchange-traded funds, you can build a ladder of the intervening years, but that means that each year, you have to commit to a certain amount coming due.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
"That this coming event is worse than that, after three intervening global bleaching events ... is a terrifying reality," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Upon arriving, the statues discover that Rome has undergone more than a few changes over the intervening centuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Olbers’s counterargument was that the light from distant stars would be dimmed by absorption by intervening matter.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
