Standard Lemma guide

intermediate

adj · noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.di.ət/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • ĭn-tər-mē'dē-ət
  • /ˌɪn.tɚˈmi.di.ət/
  • New-Jersey: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.diˌeɪt/
  • /ˌɪn.tɚˈmi.di.eɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N T ER0 M IY1 D IY0 IH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH2 N ER0 M IY1 D IY0 IH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Anything in an intermediate position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An intermediary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An automobile that is larger than a compact but smaller than a full-sized car.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mid-size

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product.

Any such substance that is produced and sold to commercial customers (business-to-business sales) as an input to other chemical processes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: chemical industries

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A kind of tyre with relatively light grooving, used for conditions between fully dry and fully wet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, motor-racing, racing, sports

Examples

  • Light rain was coming so he chose intermediate tyres.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To mediate, to be an intermediate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To arrange, in the manner of a broker.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Central banks need to regulate the entities that intermediate monetary transactions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

lying between two extremes in time or space or state

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • going from sitting to standing without intermediate pushes with the hands
  • intermediate stages in a process
  • intermediate stops on the route
  • an intermediate range plane

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: terminal

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

around the middle of a scale of evaluation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an orange of average size
  • intermediate capacity
  • medium bombers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: average, medium

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

a substance formed during a chemical process before the desired product is obtained

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chemical, chemical substance

13

verb

Meaning 13

act between parties with a view to reconciling differences

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He interceded in the family dispute
  • He mediated a settlement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intercede, mediate, liaise, arbitrate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: negociate, negotiate, talk terms

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin intermediātus, perfect passive participle of intermediō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from intermedius (“intermediate”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

From a substantivization of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Borrowed from Medieval Latin intermediātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: среден (sreden) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Bulgarian: междинен (meždinen) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Catalan: intermedi — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中間 /中间 (zhōngjiān) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中級 /中级 (zhōngjí) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Dutch: middelmatig — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Finnish: väli- — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Finnish: keskitason — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • French: intermédiaire — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Galician: intermedio — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Georgian: შუალედური (šualeduri) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Greek: ενδιάμεσος (endiámesos) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Hungarian: köztes — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Hungarian: középszintű — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Hungarian: középfokú — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Indonesian: menengah — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Irish: idirmheánach — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Italian: intermedio — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Central Kurdish: ناوەندی (nawendî) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Polish: pośredni — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Polish: przejściowy — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Portuguese: intermediário — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Portuguese: intermédio — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Russian: промежу́точный (promežútočnyj) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Russian: сре́дний (srédnij) — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar-mheadhanach — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Spanish: intermedio — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Swedish: mellanliggande — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Swedish: intermediär — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Tagalog: pampagitan — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Welsh: canolradd — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Welsh: rhyngol — being between two extremes, or in the middle of a range
  • Finnish: välittäjä — anything in an intermediate position
  • French: intermédiaire — anything in an intermediate position
  • Greek: ενδιάμεσος (endiámesos) — anything in an intermediate position
  • Central Kurdish: ناوەندی (nawendî) — anything in an intermediate position
  • Tagalog: pampagitan — anything in an intermediate position
  • Bulgarian: посредник (posrednik) — an intermediary
  • Finnish: välittäjä — an intermediary
  • Finnish: välikäsi — an intermediary
  • French: intermédiaire — an intermediary
  • Greek: μεσολαβητής (mesolavitís) — an intermediary
  • Greek: μεσάζων (mesázon) — an intermediary
  • Central Kurdish: ناوندی (nawindî) — an intermediary
  • Polish: pośrednik — an intermediary
  • Polish: mediator — an intermediary
  • Spanish: intermediario — an intermediary
  • Thai: ตัวกลาง — an intermediary
  • Bulgarian: междинен продукт (meždinen produkt) — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • Czech: meziprodukt — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • Finnish: välituote — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • German: Zwischenprodukt — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • Indonesian: zat antara — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • Polish: półprodukt — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • Swedish: intermediär — any substance formed as part of a series of chemical reactions that is not the end-product
  • Bulgarian: посреднича (posredniča) — to mediate, to be an intermediate
  • Finnish: välittää — to mediate, to be an intermediate
  • French: concilier — to mediate, to be an intermediate
  • German: als Vermittler handeln — to mediate, to be an intermediate
  • Greek: μεσολαβώ (mesolavó) — to mediate, to be an intermediate
  • Portuguese: intermediar — to mediate, to be an intermediate
  • Spanish: intermediar — to mediate, to be an intermediate
Real reading context

intermediate in complete knowledge articles