intervene

play

verb in·ter·vene \ˌin-tər-ˈvēn\

Definition of intervene

intervened

;

intervening

intransitive verb
1 : to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events only six months intervened between their marriage and divorce
2 : to enter or appear as an irrelevant or extraneous feature or circumstance it's business as usual until a crisis intervenes
3a : to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification intervene to stop a fightb : to interfere with the outcome or course especially of a condition or process (as to prevent harm or improve functioning)
4 : to occur or lie between two things
5a : to become a third party to a legal proceeding begun by others for the protection of an alleged interestb : to interfere usually by force or threat of force in another nation's internal affairs especially to compel or prevent an action

intervention

play \ˌin-tər-ˈven(t)-shən\ noun

interventional

play play \ˌin-tər-ˈvench-nəl, ˈven(t)-shə-n^əl\ adjective

See intervene defined for English-language learners

See intervene defined for kids

Examples of intervene in a Sentence

Twenty years intervened between their first and last meetings.
The prisoner asked me to intervene with the authorities on his behalf.
The military had to intervene to restore order.
We will leave on time unless some crisis intervenes.

Recent Examples of intervene from the Web

During the intervening days, the price of oil would fluctuate.

— tony rehagen, Popular Mechanics, "I Grew Up in a Gas Station", 27 June 2017
Like Uber, Airbnb is lobbying state lawmakers to intervene and prevent cities and counties from enacting local regulations for short-term home rentals.

— douglas hanks, miamiherald, "At mayors conference in Miami Beach, a battleground for the Airbnb debate", 23 June 2017
Either way, a source told People magazine producers did nothing to intervene.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' Predicted the 'Bachelor in Paradise' Controversy a Year Ago", 21 June 2017
However, those were the last words Peter got in before school principal Jon Pollard intervened, forcing Peter to leave the stage.

— rachel jacoby zoldan, Teen Vogue, "Valedictorian Removed From Graduation Stage After Criticizing Administration", 20 June 2017
But in the intervening days, the fire, which swept through the 24-story Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, has come to symbolize everything that is wrong with the country and its awkward prime minister.

— henry porter, The Hive, "How the Grenfell Tower Fire Became a Metaphor for Britain’s Year from Hell", 16 June 2017
By contrast, in Washington — which has fewer than a third as many cops as Chicago — police invited the Justice Department to intervene and federal authorities laid out their findings in a letter that focuses on uses of force.

— dan hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Other cities' approach to police reform without judge's oversight may color Chicago's", 9 June 2017
In 1630, the Protestant forces were on their heels when Gustavus Adolphus, the Protestant king of Sweden, intervened, pushing the Catholic Imperial army out of much of Germany.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Researchers Catalogue the Grisly Deaths of Soldiers in the Thirty Years’ War", 6 June 2017
But then, a kind of magic intervenes, when George manages to hypnotize Krupp with a plastic ring.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "'Captain Underpants' movie review: An animated dose of good-natured goofiness", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intervene'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of intervene

Latin intervenire to come between, from inter- + venire to come — more at come

NEW!

First Known Use: 1587

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of intervene

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

INTERVENE Defined for English Language Learners

intervene

play

verb

Definition of intervene for English Language Learners

: to come or occur between two times or events
: to become involved in something (such as a conflict) in order to have an influence on what happens
: to happen as an unrelated event that causes a delay or problem

INTERVENE Defined for Kids

intervene

play

verb in·ter·vene \ˌin-tər-ˈvēn\

Definition of intervene for Students

intervened

;

intervening

1 : to come or occur between events, places, or points of time One week intervened between games.
2 : to interfere with something so as to stop, settle, or change I intervened in their quarrel.

Law Dictionary

intervene

play

intransitive verb in·ter·vene \ˌin-tər-ˈvēn\

Legal Definition of intervene

intervened

intervening

1 : to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events may be held liable even though other independent agencies intervene between his negligence and the ultimate result — Hooks Superx, Inc. v. McLaughlin, 642 N.E.2d 514 (1994)
2a : to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification intervene to stop a fight b : to become a party to a legal proceeding begun by others in order to protect an alleged interest in the subject matter of the proceeding the Commissioner of Internal Revenue was granted leave to intervene — P. A. Freund — compare implead, interplead, join