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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The Lightning Thief
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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:
That could create opportunities to intervene earlier while avoiding unnecessary treatment for people whose blood changes may not be cancerous.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
The NCA hoped it could intervene before curiosity, talent and online influence turn into serious offending.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
But Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier nonetheless sought to intervene in Simpson’s case, arguing in filings that the surrogacy agreement was invalid and Zhou hadn’t proved parentage under Florida law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Police and Civil Guards in Ceuta appeared to do little to intervene, though some officers attempted to direct the arrivals to the local migrant reception centre.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 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
Saroj is now demanding the government urgently intervenes and close HMP Pentonville down.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
"When one country intervenes in the decisions of another country, freedom dies," Petro wrote Tuesday in response to Trump's endorsement.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
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
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
The legal aid division of the Baton Rouge Bar Association intervenes on her behalf, and Joey’s many supporters flood government offices in protest.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
In July, Florida’s attorney general intervened in litigation between Simpson and the father, persuading a state judge to bar the children from leaving the U.S. while a custody suit proceeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The yen held its gains against the dollar a day after rallying amid speculation that Japanese authorities intervened to prop up the currency, which had been sitting around 40-year lows.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer filed an emergency appeal and said judges in Boston had wrongly intervened too soon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 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
It was the young swordsman who had intervened during the fight, standing between Grigori and me.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Still, the findings introduce a possible strategy for intervening earlier in individuals whose metabolic health may place them at greater risk of Alzheimer's disease.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
But what alarms fans even more than nitpicking that exceeds the abilities of the human eye is how often that tech is intervening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
England head coach Tuchel said the ruling set a dangerous precedent, while Uefa said intervening to effectively cancel a suspension at a tournament "crossed a red line".
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 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
In a year, it crosses nearly ten trillion kilometers, about six trillion miles, of intervening space.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
