verb · 9 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɪntəˈviːn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˌɪntɚˈvin/
Australian:/ˌɪntəˈviːn/
New-Zealand:/ˌəntəˈviːn/
rhymes with -iːn
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N T ER0 V IY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
The police had to be called to intervene in the fight.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: interfere, step in
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To occur, fall, or come between, points of time, or events.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
An instant intervened between the flash and the report.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: elapse
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To occur or act as an obstacle or delay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
Nothing intervened to prevent the undertaking.
The weather intervened before the contest could get under way.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: interrupt
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To come between, or to be between, persons or things.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
The Mediterranean intervenes between Europe and Africa.
1668, Joseph Glanvill, Plus Ultra, or, The Progress and Advancement of Knowledge since the Days of Aristotle, London: James Collins, Chapter 11, p. 79, How defective the Art of Navigation was in elder Times, when they Sailed by the observation of the Stars, is easie to be imagin’d: For in dark weather, when their Pleiades, Helice, and Cynosura were hidden from them by the intervening Clouds, the Mariner was at a loss for his Guide, and exposed to the casual conduct of the Winds and Tides.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
In a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
an application for leave (i.e. permission) to intervene
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
occur between other event or between certain points of time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the war intervened between the birth of her two children
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place
8
verb
Meaning 8
get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Why did the U.S. not intervene earlier in WW II?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: step in, interfere, interpose
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: interact
Narrower terms: meddle, tamper, interlope
9
verb
Meaning 9
be placed or located between other things or extend between spaces and events
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
This interludes intervenes between the two movements
Eight days intervened
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lie
History
Etymology
Back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb).
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
преча
(preča)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Dutch:
ingrijpen
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Dutch:
interveniëren
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Dutch:
tussenbeide komen
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
German:
eingreifen
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
German:
einschreiten
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
German:
dazwischengehen
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
German:
dazwischenfahren
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
German:
intervenieren
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Greek:
επεμβαίνω
(epemvaíno)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Greek:
παρεμβαίνω
(paremvaíno)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Hungarian:
beavatkozik
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Hungarian:
beleavatkozik
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Hungarian:
közbelép
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Hungarian:
interveniál
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Italian:
intervenire
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Italian:
interagire
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Māori:
wawao
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Polish:
wkroczyć
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Polish:
wkraczać
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Polish:
interweniować
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Russian:
вмешиваться
(vméšivatʹsja)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Russian:
вмешаться
(vmešátʹsja)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Spanish:
intervenir
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Spanish:
involucrarse
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Spanish:
interceder
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Spanish:
meterse
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Turkish:
araya girmek
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Turkish:
müdahale etmek
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Turkish:
karışmak
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Turkish:
el atmak
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Ukrainian:
втруча́тися
(vtručátysja)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Ukrainian:
втру́титися
(vtrútytysja)
— to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action
Bulgarian:
намирам се между
(namiram se meždu)
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
German:
dazwischenkommen
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
German:
eintreten
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
German:
vorfallen
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
German:
ereignen
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Greek:
μεσολαβώ
(mesolavó)
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Hungarian:
közbeesik
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Hungarian:
közben eltelik
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Hungarian:
megtörténik
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Hungarian:
bekövetkezik
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Hungarian:
lezajlik
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Russian:
пройти
(projtí)
— to occur, to come between, points of time, or events
Hungarian:
közbejön
— to occur or act as an obstacle or delay
Polish:
przeszkodzić
— to occur or act as an obstacle or delay
Polish:
powstrzymać
— to occur or act as an obstacle or delay
Russian:
помешать
(pomešátʹ)
— to occur or act as an obstacle or delay
Hungarian:
felszólal
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Hungarian:
közbeszól
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Hungarian:
közbevág
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Hungarian:
közbevet
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Polish:
przerwać
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Polish:
przerywać
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Russian:
вмешиваться
(vméšivatʹsja)
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Russian:
вмешаться
(vmešátʹsja)
— to say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people
Arabic:
تَدَخَّلَ
(tadaḵḵala)
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Bulgarian:
намесвам се
(namesvam se)
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Catalan:
intervenir
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Chinese Mandarin:
介入
(jièrù)
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Czech:
zasáhnout
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Dutch:
tussenkomen
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Dutch:
ingrijpen
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Dutch:
interveniëren
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Finnish:
sekaantua
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Finnish:
puuttua
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Finnish:
tulla väliin
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
French:
intervenir
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
German:
dazwischentreten
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
German:
eingreifen
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
German:
intervenieren
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
German:
einschalten
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
German:
einschreiten
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Greek:
μεσολαβώ
(mesolavó)
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Hungarian:
közte elterül
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Hungarian:
elválaszt
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Italian:
intervenire
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Italian:
interferire
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Italian:
trovarsi
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Latin:
intercēdō
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Luxembourgish:
agräifen
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Polish:
interweniować
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Portuguese:
intervir
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Portuguese:
interceder
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Russian:
вме́шиваться
(vméšivatʹsja)
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Spanish:
intervenir
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Swedish:
ingripa
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
Swedish:
intervenera
— to come between, or to be between, persons or things
French:
intervenir
— law: in a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter
German:
beitreten
— law: in a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter
Hungarian:
beavatkozik
— law: in a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter
