intervene definition | Dictionary.com

in⋅ter⋅vene

[in-ter-veen]

–verb (used without object), -vened, -ven⋅ing.

1.	to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate.

2.	to occur or be between two things.

3.	to occur or happen between other events or periods: Nothing important intervened between the meetings.

4.	(of things) to occur incidentally so as to modify or hinder: We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened.

5.	to interfere with force or a threat of force: to intervene in the affairs of another country.

6.	Law. to interpose and become a party to a suit pending between other parties.

Origin:
1580–90; < L intervenīre to come between, equiv. to inter- inter- + venīre to come; see convene

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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Language Translation for : intervene

Spanish:

intervenir,

German:

eingreifen,

Japanese:

仲裁をする

View 30 other languages »

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in·ter·vene (ĭn'tər-vēn') Pronunciation Key
intr.v. in·ter·vened, in·ter·ven·ing, in·ter·venes

To come, appear, or lie between two things: You can't see the lake from there because the house intervenes.
To come or occur between two periods or points of time: A year intervened between the two dynasties.
To occur as an extraneous or unplanned circumstance: He would have his degree by now if his laziness hadn't intervened.
1. To involve oneself in a situation so as to alter or hinder an action or development: "Every gardener faces choices about how and how much to intervene in nature's processes" (Dora Galitzki).
2. To interfere, usually through force or threat of force, in the affairs of another nation.
Law To enter into a suit as a third party for one's own interests.

[Latin intervenīre : inter-, inter- + venīre, to come; see g^wā- in Indo-European roots.]
in'ter·ve'nor, in'ter·ven'er n., in'ter·ven'tion (-věn'shən) n., in'ter·ven'tion·al adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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intervene
verb
1.	get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force; "Why did the U.S. not intervene earlier in WW II?"
2.	be placed or located between other things or extend between spaces and events; "This interludes intervenes between the two movements"; "Eight days intervened"
3.	occur between other event or between certain points of time; "the war intervened between the birth of her two children"

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

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Main Entry: in·ter·vene
Pronunciation: "in-t&r-'vEn
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: -ven·ed; -ven·ing
1 : to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events intervene between his negligence and the ultimate result —Hooks Superx Incorporated v. McLaughlin, 642 North Eastern Reporter, Second Series 514 (1994)>
2 a : to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification <intervene to stop a fight> b : to become a party to a legal proceeding begun by others in order to protect an alleged interest in the subject matter of the proceeding intervene —Pacific Reporter A. Freund> —compare IMPLEAD, INTERPLEAD, JOIN —in·ter·ve·nor /-'vE-n&r, -"nor/ noun

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

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Intervene

In`ter*vene"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Intervened; p. pr. & vb. n. Intervening.] [L. intervenire, interventum, to intervene, to hinder; inter between + venire to come; akin to E. come: cf. F. intervenir. See Come.]

1. To come between, or to be between, persons or things; -- followed by between; as, the Mediterranean intervenes between Europe and Africa.

2. To occur, fall, or come between, points of time, or events; as, an instant intervened between the flash and the report; nothing intervened ( i. e., between the intention and the execution) to prevent the undertaking.

3. To interpose; as, to intervene to settle a quarrel.

4. In a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter. --Abbott.

Intervene

In`ter*vene"\, v. t. To come between. [R.]

Self-sown woodlands of birch, alder, etc., intervening the different estates. --De Quincey.

Intervene

In`ter*vene"\, n. A coming between; intervention; meeting. [Obs.] --Sir H. Wotton.