English Lexicon

Intervene

/ˌɪn.təˈviːn/
verbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To come between so as to hinder or modify an action or effect.

    "The teacher had to intervene when the students began to argue."
  2. 2

    To involve oneself in a situation to alter the outcome.

    "The government decided to intervene in the economic crisis."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'intervene' originates from the Latin 'intervenire', meaning 'to come between'. It evolved through Middle French 'intervenir' before entering English in the late 15th century, retaining the core meaning of stepping in or coming between parties.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Intervene"?

10 Global Lexicons: How "Intervene" is said worldwide

Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Intervene"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Intervene" Synonym Map