intermediary

[ in-ter-mee-dee-er-ee ]

noun

, plural in·ter·me·di·ar·ies.

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.

adjective

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

   an intermediary power.

intermediary

/ 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

adjective

1. acting as an intermediary
2. situated, acting, or coming between; intermediate

Word History and Origins

Origin of intermediary¹

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

Example Sentences

As Huizar’s intermediary, Esparza served as a go-between for another bribery scheme — this one involving the developer of a planned 20-story residential tower at Hill and Olympic in downtown Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a process that must be authorised by judges in family courts, who set out the level of contact the child will have with their birth parents - usually just letters, sent twice a year, via an intermediary.

From BBC

Sometime after that call, Mario Medina pretended to be an intermediary between the victim’s family and the hostage takers.

From Los Angeles Times

An Italian mafia fugitive - who served as an intermediary with Colombian drug gangs - has been arrested after almost four years on the run in South America.

From BBC

The lawsuit says the Clippers began their pursuit of Kawhi Leonard — using Shelton as an intermediary — in 2017, years before Leonard would eventually join the team.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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