mediate

1 of 2

adjective

me·​di·​ate ˈmē-dē-ət How to pronounce mediate (audio)
Synonyms of mediatenext
1
: occupying a middle position
2
a
: acting through an intervening agency
b
: exhibiting indirect causation, connection, or relation
the disease spreads by mediate as well as direct contact—Veterinary Record
mediacy
ˈmē-dē-ə-sē How to pronounce mediate (audio)
noun
mediately adverb

mediate

2 of 2

verb

me·​di·​ate ˈmē-dē-ˌāt How to pronounce mediate (audio)
mediated; mediating

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring accord out of by action as an intermediary (see intermediary entry 1 sense 1a)
endeavored to mediate East-West differences on several important issues—Collier's Year Book
b
: to effect by action as an intermediary (see intermediary entry 1 sense 1a)
mediated a settlement that was satisfactory to both sides
2
a
: to act as intermediary (see intermediary entry 2 sense 2) agent in bringing, effecting, or communicating : convey
individuals … mediate the culture to the child—Margaret Mead
b
: to transmit as intermediate mechanism or agency

intransitive verb

1
: to interpose between parties in order to reconcile (see reconcile sense 1a) them
2
: to reconcile (see reconcile sense 1b) differences
mediative
ˈmē-dē-ˌā-tiv How to pronounce mediate (audio)
adjective
mediatory
ˈmē-dē-ə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce mediate (audio)
adjective

Did you know?

Mediation is often used in disputes between companies and labor unions, and the government actually provides mediators for such disagreements. The mediator tries to bring the two sides to an agreement, but doesn't have the power to actually order such an agreement. Mediators also sometimes have a role in international disputes; when two neighboring countries claim exclusive fishing rights in the same ocean waters, for example, they may invite a trained mediator to help settle the argument. Arbitration is similar to mediation, but in arbitration both parties in a dispute agree to accept the arbitrator's decision.

Synonyms

Adjective

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for mediate

interpose, interfere, intervene, mediate, intercede mean to come or go between.

interpose often implies no more than this.

interposed herself between him and the door

interfere implies hindering.

noise interfered with my concentration

intervene may imply an occurring in space or time between two things or a stepping in to stop a conflict.

quarreled until the manager intervened

mediate implies intervening between hostile factions.

mediated between the parties

intercede implies acting for an offender in begging mercy or forgiveness.

interceded on our behalf

Examples of mediate in a Sentence

Adjective has a black-and-white view of human nature, believing that there is no mediate state between good and evil Verb He has been appointed to mediate the dispute. He is attempting to mediate a settlement between the company and the striking workers. Negotiators are trying to mediate a ceasefire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Listen, mediate and facilitate while sticking to facts and objectivity. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 The United States will have to better support Africa’s capacity to prevent, mediate, and resolve conflicts. —Judd Devermont, Foreign Affairs, 27 June 2024
Verb
Sources indicate that Kyiv is seeking to revive discussions mediated by Qatar after previous talks nearly resulted in an agreement in August but were derailed by Ukraine's military incursion into Russia's Kursk region. —Katya Soldak, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Yet, the Israelis would have correctly recognized that their main ally, the U.S., sees the Qataris as pivotal to bringing peace to the region and mediating the conflict between Israel and Hamas. —Allen Fromherz / Made By History, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mediate 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin mediatus intermediate, from past participle of mediare

Verb

Medieval Latin mediatus, past participle of mediare, from Late Latin, to be in the middle, from Latin medius middle

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1578, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mediate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mediate

mediastinum

mediate

mediate inference

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Mediate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mediate. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

mediate

verb
me·​di·​ate
ˈmēd-ē-ˌāt
mediated; mediating
1
: to work with opposing sides in an argument in order to bring about an agreement
mediate a settlement
mediate a dispute
2
: to pass on or act as a mechanism or agency that is between others
mediation
ˌmēd-ē-ˈā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

mediate

1 of 2 adjective
me·​di·​ate ˈmēd-ē-ət How to pronounce mediate (audio)
1
: occupying a middle position
2
: acting through an intervening agency : exhibiting indirect causation, connection, or relation

mediate

2 of 2 transitive verb
me·​di·​ate ˈmēd-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce mediate (audio)
mediated; mediating
: to transmit or carry (as a physical process or effect) as an intermediate mechanism or agency

More from Merriam-Webster on mediate

Nglish: Translation of mediate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of mediate for Arabic Speakers

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