intervene
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate.
-
to occur or be between two things.
-
to occur or happen between other events or periods.
Nothing important intervened between the meetings.
-
(of things) to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder.
We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened.
-
to interfere with force or a threat of force.
to intervene in the affairs of another country.
-
Law. to interpose and become a party to a suit pending between other parties.
verb
-
(often foll by in) to take a decisive or intrusive role (in) in order to modify or determine events or their outcome
-
to come or be (among or between)
-
(of a period of time) to occur between events or points in time
-
(of an event) to disturb or hinder a course of action
-
economics to take action to affect the market forces of an economy, esp to maintain the stability of a currency
-
law to interpose and become a party to a legal action between others, esp in order to protect one's interests
Other Word Forms
- intervener noun
- reintervene verb (used without object)
- unintervening adjective
Etymology
Origin of intervene
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin intervenīre “to come between,” from inter- inter- + venīre “to come”; basis, come
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though, on a show where even “Top Chef” winner Kristen Kish reportedly had to intervene about food quality, that bar is not especially high.
From Salon
Saudi Arabia intervened this month after repeated breaches of the initial truce, mediating the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured by Afghanistan in October.
From Barron's
Changes in tax policy in intervening years allowed widows and widowers to access their spouses’ unused exemptions and now the more generous exemptions make it worth revisiting these trusts.
From Barron's
Now she’s hoping the Supreme Court will intervene.
From MarketWatch
Instead, it signaled a move by the way it intervened in the Treasury market.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
