intermediate
intermediate Lexical Profile
intermediate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Coming or situated between two points, stages, places, or extremes in time, space, or degree.
"Archaeologists uncovered fossils belonging to an intermediate evolutionary stage between aquatic and land-dwelling vertebrates."
Having or suitable for a level of knowledge, skill, or instruction above a beginner and below an advanced practitioner.
"After completing the introductory Spanish course, she enrolled in the intermediate conversation class."
• noun
A person who is at a middle level of skill or training between a beginner and an advanced learner.
"The ski resort offers gentle slopes for novices as well as steeper trails designed for intermediates."
A chemical compound formed during a step of a multi-step reaction and subsequently consumed or transformed into the final product.
"Spectroscopic analysis allowed the chemists to detect a short-lived reactive intermediate during the synthesis."
Something or someone that exists, acts, or occurs between two things, stages, or parties.
"The hybrid cultivar serves as an intermediate between the hardy wild species and the delicate garden variety."
• verb
To act as an intermediary, mediator, or broker between two or more parties, especially in financial transactions or negotiations.
"Commercial banks intermediate between savers who deposit funds and businesses that need capital to expand."
Word Nuance & Usage
Notice the pronunciation shift between parts of speech: as an adjective or noun, the final syllable is pronounced with a reduced vowel (/ɪt/), whereas as a verb, the final syllable has a long vowel (/eɪt/).
• Rhymes for intermediate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin intermediatus, derived from Latin intermedius ('that which is between'), combining inter- ('between') and medius ('middle').