noun · verb · 7 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
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mĭdʹəlmănʹ
[ˈmɪdɫ̩ˌmæn]
rhymes with -ɪdəlmæn
CMU ARPABET:M IH1 D AH0 L M AE2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An intermediary, agent between two (or more) parties.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
act as a middleman
cut out the middleman
financial middleman
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An intermediate dealer between the manufacturer and the retailer or customer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The farmer sold his produce directly to stores without a middleman.
Online platforms often eliminate the need for a middleman.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
One who rents land in large tracts, and lets it in small portions to the peasantry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To act as a middleman or intermediary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a person who is in a position to give you special assistance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he used his business contacts to get an introduction to the governor
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contact
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: representative
6
noun
Meaning 6
the performer in the middle of a minstrel line who engages the others in talk
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: interlocutor
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: minstrel
7
noun
Meaning 7
someone who buys large quantities of goods and resells to merchants rather than to the ultimate customers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: jobber, wholesaler
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: distributor, distributer
Narrower terms: meat packer, packer
History
Etymology
From Middle English myddil man, equivalent to middle + man.
Across languages
Translations
32 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Hungarian:
közvetítő
— intermediary
Hungarian:
közbenjáró
— intermediary
Polish:
pośrednik
— intermediary
Spanish:
medianero
— intermediary
Armenian:
միջնորդ
(miǰnord)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Bulgarian:
посредник
(posrednik)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Catalan:
mitjancer
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Dutch:
tussenhandelaar
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Finnish:
välittäjä
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Finnish:
välikäsi
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
French:
intermédiaire
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Galician:
intermediario
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Greek:
μεσάζων
(mesázon)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Hebrew:
מְתַוֵּךְ
(metavékh)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Hindi:
बिचौलिया
(bicauliyā)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Indonesian:
tengkulak
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Latin:
interpres
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Macedonian:
препродавач
(preprodavač)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Malay:
orang tengah
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Malay:
wasit
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Norman:
r'vendeux
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Norwegian Bokmål:
mellommann
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Norwegian Nynorsk:
mellommann
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Polish:
pośrednik
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Portuguese:
intermediário
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Russian:
посре́дник
(posrédnik)
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Swahili:
mlanguzi
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Swedish:
mellanhand
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Tagalog:
tagapamagitan
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Turkish:
aracı
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Turkish:
komisyoncu
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
Turkish:
komisyoner
— intermediate dealer between manufacturer and the retailer or customer
