Added 9 October 2026
mediate
/ˈmidieɪt/ verb
Latin root: mediātus First recorded: 1440 Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mediate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
To resolve differences, or to bring about a settlement, between conflicting parties.
Negotiators managed to mediate a ceasefire.
- To intervene between conflicting parties in order to resolve differences or bring about a settlement.
- To divide into two equal parts.
adjective
Origin
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).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)