mediate
/ˈmidieɪt/verb, adjective
mediate is spelled M-E-D-I-A-T-E: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, mediate means “To resolve differences, or to bring about a settlement, between conflicting parties” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in mediate?
| Letters | 7: M-E-D-I-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,463rd 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 mediate?
Mediate appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd 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 mediate?
- US /ˈmidieɪt/
As an adjective (“Acting through a mediating agency, indirect”): /ˈmidieɪt/, /ˈmidi.ət/.
Mediate has 3 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-mediate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-mediate2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mediate
- mediates present, singular, he/she/it
- mediating participle, present
- mediated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mediate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To resolve differences, or to bring about a settlement, between conflicting parties.
Negotiators managed to mediate a ceasefire.
- 2
To intervene between conflicting parties in order to resolve differences or bring about a settlement.
- 3
To divide into two equal parts.
- 4
To act as an intermediary causal or communicative agent; to convey.
- 5
To act as a spiritualistic medium.
- 6
To communicate via media; to frame; to provide a cultural narrative about.
adjective
- 1
Acting through a mediating agency, indirect.
- 2
Intermediate between extremes.
- 3
Gained or effected by a medium or condition.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mediate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | schlichten , vermitteln |
| Spanish | mediar , terciar |
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 mediate come from?
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).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).