mediation
noun
me·di·a·tion
ˌmē-dē-ˈā-shən 
: the act or process of mediating: such as
a
: intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or compromise
The town feud raged until April … when, with the mediation of William N. Byers the dispute was settled and the name of Denver selected for the settlement.—
Thomas A. Martin
Thomas A. Martin
specifically
: a means of resolving disputes outside of the judicial system by voluntary participation in negotiations structured by agreement of the parties and usually conducted under the guidance and supervision of a trained intermediary
More couples are considering mediation—or using a mediator to help them reach a compromise—rather than hiring two lawyers who fight it out for their clients. —Mary Rowland
Mary Rowland
b
: indirect conveyance or communication through an intermediary
Islam recognizes no ordination, no sacraments, no priestly mediation between the believer and God.—Bernard Lewis
Bernard LewisLike any of the other emporiums of the western ocean, Mogadishu had plenty of employment for the commercial brokers … who provided the crucial mediation between the arriving sea merchants and the local wholesalers.—Ross E. Dunn
Ross E. Dunn
c
: transmission by an intermediate mechanism or agency
The critical role of the hippocampus in the mediation of normal memory processes has been highlighted by the observation that in human patients bilateral damage to the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, produces an extensive and durable amnesia for new information.—Raymond P. Kesner et al.
Raymond P. Kesner et al.Examples of mediation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than seven years after the abuses of Ohio State physician Richard Strauss were publicly exposed—and three years after Ohio State resolved the first round of settlements with 296 victims—a second wave of litigation is escalating with formal mediation having commenced.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The two parties entered into mediation in February, and hundreds of barista delegates voted down the economic package Starbucks proposed in April.
—Amelia Lucas,kate Rogers, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Even with mediation efforts, the district and union were still at a stalemate by Monday evening, about 10 months after contract negotiations first began.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
Leo’s trip comes at a tense time, one year after an uneasy truce was established between Israel and Hezbollah through US mediation.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mediation
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Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The two parties entered into mediation in February, and hundreds of barista delegates voted down the economic package Starbucks proposed in April.
—Amelia Lucas,kate Rogers, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Even with mediation efforts, the district and union were still at a stalemate by Monday evening, about 10 months after contract negotiations first began.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
Leo’s trip comes at a tense time, one year after an uneasy truce was established between Israel and Hezbollah through US mediation.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mediation
Cite this Entry
“Mediation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mediation. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mediation
noun
me·di·a·tion
ˌmēd-ē-ˈā-shən
: the act or process of mediating something (as a physical process)
Legal Definition
mediation
noun
me·di·a·tion
ˌmē-dē-ˈā-shən
: nonbinding intervention between parties to promote resolution of a grievance, reconciliation, settlement, or compromise compare arbitration
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