intermediary
/ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈmiːdi.əɹi/adjective, noun
intermediary is spelled I-N-T-E-R-M-E-D-I-A-R-Y: 12 letters and 6 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,965th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, intermediary means “That intermediates” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in intermediary?
| Letters | 12: I-N-T-E-R-M-E-D-I-A-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 6 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 22,965th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is intermediary?
Intermediary appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,965th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce intermediary?
- UK /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈmiːdi.əɹi/
- UK /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈmiːdjəɹi/
- UK /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈmiːdʒəɹi/
Intermediary has 6 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-intermediary.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of intermediary
- intermediaries plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does intermediary mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
That intermediates.
noun
- 1
An agent acting as a mediator between sides to facilitate agreement or cooperation.
- 2
A person or organisation in an intermediate position (in a transaction, agreement, supply chain, etc.)
The intermediary between the manufacturer and retailer is the wholesaler
- 3
One or several stages of an event which occurs after the start and before the end.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Intermediary in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | intermédiaire |
| German | intermediär , Vermittler, Vermittlerin , Zwischenhändler, Zwischenhändlerin |
| Spanish | intermediario, intermediador, intermediante , intermediaria |
| Portuguese | intermediário |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does intermediary come from?
From French intermédiaire, adjusted to simulate a borrowing from Medieval Latin *intermediārius.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).