English Explanatory Dictionary

mediate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To resolve differences, or to bring about a settlement, between conflicting parties.
  2. To intervene between conflicting parties in order to resolve differences or bring about a settlement.
  3. To divide into two equal parts.
  4. To act as an intermediary causal or communicative agent; to convey.
  5. To act as a spiritualistic medium.
  6. To communicate via media; to frame; to provide a cultural narrative about.
adj
  1. Acting through a mediating agency, indirect.
  2. Intermediate between extremes.
  3. Gained or effected by a medium or condition.

Pronunciation

/ˈmidieɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mediate.wav /ˈmidi.ət/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mediate2.wav

Word forms

mediate mediates mediating mediated

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in the 1440s in Middle English, the verb in 1538; from Middle English mediat(e) (“intermediate; intercessory”), borrowed from Late Latin mediātus, perfect passive participle of mediō (“to divide in the middle; (in Medieval Latin) to be in the middle, be or become between, mediate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from medius (“middle”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

Related words

intermediate mean median mediation mediator medium immediate immediately

Derived words

antibody-mediated rejection electromediated hypermediated immunomediate mediatable mediatingly mediative nonmediated nonmediating telemediated unmediated mediately mediateness
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on M Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary