mediate

1 of 2

adjective

me·​di·​ate ˈmē-dē-ət 

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 

noun

mediately adverb

mediate

2 of 2

verb

me·​di·​ate ˈmē-dē-ˌāt 

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 

adjective

mediatory

ˈmē-dē-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

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

• central
• halfway
• intermediary
• intermediate
• medial
• median
• medium
• mid
• middle
• midmost

Verb

• intercede
• intermediate
• interpose
• intervene

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

Talks to reach a new cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S., have thus far not resulted in a deal. —Mhari Shaw, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024

Their reconciliation had been mediated by, of all people, McCartney. —Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024

In response, the Taliban authorities have suggested that Pakistan address the militants’ demands and have offered to mediate talks. —Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024

Instead of acting like a coach calling plays, Johnson often behaved like a referee mediating among rival wings of the Republican conference. —David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024

They’re mediated through social identity, and that’s true even of political groups defined overtly through economic relations. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

In fact, Hochstein had already held preliminary discussions over 13 land border points, including the Shebaa Farms, and had explicitly said that the U.S. is ready to help mediate between the two countries. —Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024

Recommender algorithms that mediate content and optimize for engagement. —Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024

So our entire information diet is going to be mediated by these systems. —TIME, 13 Feb. 2024

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

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 

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 

mediated; mediating

: to transmit or carry (as a physical process or effect) as an intermediate mechanism or agency