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

3 a :to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification

intervene to stop a fight

b :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

5 a :to become a third party to a legal proceeding begun by others for the protection of an alleged interest

b :to interfere usually by force or threat of force in another nation's internal affairs especially to compel or prevent an action

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intervention

play \ˌin-tər-ˈven(t)-shən\ noun

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interventional

play \ˌin-tər-ˈvench-nəl, ˈven(t)-shə-nᵊl\ 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

The NAACP intervened early in the case to defend the three living men.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The Case Thurgood Marshall Never Forgot," 30 Aug. 2017
Police officers intervened to hold back Benjamin Mendy and exchanged words with striker Sergio Aguero.

— rob harris, The Seattle Times, "Sterling scores Man City winner, sent off in frenzied finale," 26 Aug. 2017
In either process there are multiple points at which CCS technology could intervene.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How Does Clean Coal Work?," 23 Aug. 2017
Energy Transfer intervened in that action on the side of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

— andrew m harris, Bloomberg.com, "Energy Transfer Suit Claims Greenpeace Incites Eco-Terrorism," 22 Aug. 2017
That set off a rebellion in the Russian-speaking eastern part of the country, and Russia intervened to annex Crimea.

— seth j. frantzman, National Review, "Ukraine’s Army Needs Equipment from the U.S., Not All of It Weapons," 18 Aug. 2017
How could Warner Bros. resume production after potentially failing to intervene during a serious crime?

— allie jones, The Cut, "Why Are You Watching This?," 15 Aug. 2017
On other key issues, Putnam voted for Bush’s tax cuts, oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and allowing the parents of Terri Schiavo to intervene in the Pinellas County woman’s right-to-die case.

— steve bousquet, miamiherald, "Congressional voting record may make or break Putnam’s run for governor," 11 Aug. 2017
Wednesday, Nelson filed documents with the court seeking to either intervene or join Minick and Murrin in their lawsuit against the majority owners.

— max b. baker, star-telegram, "Is Billy Bob’s Texas up for sale? Donnie Nelson is willing to make a bid," 3 Aug. 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! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1587

See Words from the same year

intervene Synonyms

Synonyms

intercede, intermediate, interpose, mediate

Related Words

butt in, interfere, intrude, meddle, obtrude, pry, snoop; arbitrate, moderate, negotiate, referee; barge (in), bother; break (in), chime in, cut in; infringe, invade, trespass

Near Antonyms

stand by; avoid, eschew, shun; disregard, ignore, overlook

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)

2 a :to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification