mediate

1 of 2

adjective

me·​di·​ate ˈmē-dē-ət How to pronounce mediate (audio)
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 contactVeterinary Record
mediacy 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 issuesCollier'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 childMargaret 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 adjective
mediatory 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.

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 cease-fire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Limited animal and human studies suggest that brain regions (e.g., insula, anterior cingulated [ACC], orbitofrontal [OFC]) and neurotransmitters (dopamine) that mediate substance dependence may also be involved with love addiction (as for PG). Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010 To this day, the United States sits at the center of many of the international institutions that govern the global commons, mediate disputes, and facilitate free trade. Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 Instead, Durand recommended schools train existing staff or security officers to de-escalate fights and mediate conflicts. Lauren Lumpkin, Washington Post, 31 May 2023 Part of the story could be that variations in the gene that codes for the oxytocin receptor—the molecule that oxytocin binds to on nerve cells in the brain—mediate differences in social behavior. Julie Hecht, Scientific American, 1 May 2017 But at least part of the puzzle may lie in sources that are harder to see (and politicize): The pandemic has frayed all kinds of institutions and infrastructure that hold communities together, that watch over streets, that mediate conflicts, that simply give young people something to do. Emily Badger, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2020 A couples’ counselor would help to direct the many strands of challenges here, as well as mediate conversations between the two of you. Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2020 The Labor Department and President Biden had also been in contact with the unions and rail companies, and was helping mediate negotiations, CNBC writes, per Jean-Pierre. Brigid Kennedy, The Week, 16 Sep. 2022 Sometimes referred to as the nurse practitioners of the law industry, legal service providers offer a less expensive way to file documents and mediate disputes in civil court than hiring a lawyer. Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 20 Aug. 2022
Verb
Like their Dutch counterparts, researchers pointed to a similar set of mediating factors that account for the disparities. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Related article Senegal faces political crisis as President Macky Sall delays polls A West African delegation from regional bloc ECOWAS arrived in Senegal on Monday to mediate on the escalating political crisis, ahead of fresh protests planned for this week, Senegalese state media RTS reported. Nimi Princewill, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 And the reason for it is, in the future, everyone's interaction with the digital world, and the world of knowledge more generally, is going to be mediated by AI systems. TIME, 13 Feb. 2024 With the war grinding on, efforts mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt to bring about a deal have been hobbled by the starkly disparate positions of Hamas and Israel. NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024 While Jordan, unlike Qatar and Egypt, has not taken a direct role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, the king is likely to pressure Biden to seek an end to the four-month conflict and secure a role for itself in postwar efforts to rebuild Gaza. Ruth Marks Eglash, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2024 Blinken, who has been working with Egypt and Qatar on trying to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, left the region Thursday without an agreement. Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 10 Feb. 2024 Hochstein, who was last in Beirut in mid-January, mediated a rare deal in 2022 between Lebanon and Israel, with a nod of approval from Hezbollah, that ended their long-standing maritime border dispute. NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Moscow had offered to mediate between Hamas and Israel soon after the war started, touting its ties to all regional stakeholders. Abbas Al Lawati, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mediate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Cite this Entry

“Mediate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mediate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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