mediate
gb/mˈidiˌeɪt/ us/mˈidiˌeɪt/
B2
English
~ 7700
közvetít, közvetítő szerepet játszik, közvetített, közvetett, mediál, köztes, közbülső, közvetítő
VERB
B2
1
közvetít
B1
Usage pattern:
to mediate between [people] (in [a dispute])
The union asked an outside expert to mediate the contract talks.
A szakszervezet egy külső szakértőt kért fel, hogy közvetítsen a szerződéses tárgyalásokon.
She was invited to mediate between the two departments after months of tension.
Felkérték, hogy közvetítsen a két részleg között a hónapokig tartó feszültség után.
An international organization helped mediate a ceasefire between the warring factions.
Human resources will mediate the discussion so everyone has a chance to speak.
They refused to mediate the dispute until both sides agreed to basic ground rules.
Learner examples
My parents had to mediate when my brother and I argued about money.
A szüleimnek kellett közvetíteniük, amikor a testvéremmel a pénzen vitatkoztunk.
A teacher can mediate a problem between two students.
Egy tanár közvetíthet két diák vitájában.
The company brought in a lawyer to mediate the conflict.
The government tried to mediate between the two groups.
We need someone to mediate this argument before it gets worse.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "mediate" with "meditate". "Mediate" means to help other people solve a problem, while "meditate" means to sit quietly and think or relax. Another mistake is using "mediate" with a direct object like a person (e.g., *mediate him*); it is more natural to say "mediate a dispute" or "mediate between two people".
Meaning
help two sides settle a dispute
Collocations
mediate a dispute
|mediate a conflict
|mediate an agreement
|mediate between the parties
|mediate peace talks
|act as a mediator
Synonyms
arbitrate (More formal and legal; often suggests giving a decision that the parties must accept.)
|
negotiate (Focuses on the parties talking directly; does not always include a third-party helper.)
Antonyms
escalate (Means to make a conflict bigger or more serious, instead of helping to end it.)
Themes
law
|work
|politics
|relationships
Definition
To talk with two people or groups who disagree and help them find a solution.
To act as an impartial go-between in a disagreement or conflict in order to help the parties reach an agreement.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
to mediate [experience/process] through [something]
Our experience of the world is increasingly mediated by digital platforms.
A világról szerzett tapasztalatainkat egyre inkább digitális platformok közvetítik.
Social norms mediate how people express their emotions in public.
A társadalmi normák közvetítő szerepet játszanak abban, hogyan fejezik ki az emberek az érzelmeiket nyilvánosan.
In many countries, access to healthcare is mediated by private insurance companies.
Language mediates the way we understand reality.
The charity mediates support through local partner organizations.
Learner examples
Today, much of our news is mediated by social media.
Ma a hírek nagy részét a közösségi média közvetíti.
Rules in a culture mediate how people behave.
Egy kultúra szabályai közvetítő szerepet játszanak abban, hogyan viselkednek az emberek.
Phones now mediate many of our friendships.
In online classes, a screen mediates the contact between teacher and student.
Money often mediates the power people have in society.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this formal sense in everyday speech where a simpler verb like "change", "shape", or "control" would sound more natural. This sense is most common in academic or formal writing about society, culture, or technology.
Meaning
be the channel for something
Collocations
mediate experience
|mediate relationships
|mediate access
|socially mediated
|culturally mediated
|technology-mediated
Synonyms
shape (More general and informal; focuses on influence rather than on being a channel or medium.)
|
filter (Suggests changing or limiting what passes through, often with a slightly negative or selective sense.)
Antonyms
bypass (Means to go around any middle step or medium so that something happens directly.)
Themes
technology
|society
|culture
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be the thing in the middle that shapes how we feel, see, or get something.
To be the means, channel, or medium through which something is communicated, experienced, or brought about, especially in an indirect way.
C1
FORMAL
3
közvetített
B2
közvetett
B1
Usage pattern:
a mediate [experience/process/interaction]
In many modern friendships, contact is largely mediate, taking place through phones and social networks.
Sok modern barátságban a kapcsolattartás nagyrészt közvetített: telefonokon és közösségi hálózatokon keresztül zajlik.
The study focuses on mediate forms of learning that take place through online platforms.
A tanulmány az online platformokon keresztül zajló, közvetített tanulási formákra összpontosít.
Our mediate experience of distant wars can make them feel unreal.
Television created a new kind of mediate political engagement.
They compared direct conversation with mediate communication via email.
Learner examples
Most of my mediate communication with friends is by text and chat apps.
A barátaimmal folytatott kommunikációm nagy része közvetített: szöveges üzenetekben és csevegőalkalmazásokban zajlik.
Online games give people a mediate form of social life.
Az online játékok a társas élet közvetített formáját nyújtják az embereknek.
The movie shows our mediate experience of nature through screens.
In this course, students have a mediate contact with the teacher through video calls.
Their relationship is mostly mediate, not face to face.
Common mistake:
Learners often see the participle "mediated" (as in "computer-mediated communication") and do not realize it is related to the same basic idea as the verb "to mediate". In practice, the -ed form is more common than the base adjective "mediate".
Meaning
indirect, via some medium
Collocations
mediate experience
|mediate interaction
|mediate communication
|media-mediated
|computer-mediated
|digitally mediated
Synonyms
indirect (Broader and more common; does not always stress the idea of a specific medium or channel.)
Antonyms
direct (Means happening immediately between things or people, without any middle step or channel.)
Themes
technology
|communication
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happening or felt through something in the middle, not in a direct way.
Happening, communicated, or experienced through an intervening thing, system, or process, rather than directly.
VERB
C2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
to mediate [effect/response] in [system/organism]
Cytokines mediate inflammatory responses in the body.
A citokinek közvetítik a szervezetben a gyulladásos válaszokat.
The study found that this protein mediates the cell’s reaction to stress.
A vizsgálat megállapította, hogy ez a fehérje közvetíti a sejt stresszre adott reakcióját.
These effects are mediated through specific receptors on the cell surface.
Insulin mediates glucose uptake into muscle tissue.
The behavioral change is mediated by alterations in brain chemistry.
Learner examples
In biology, hormones often mediate changes in the body.
A biológiában a hormonok gyakran közvetítő szerepet játszanak a szervezetben zajló változásokban.
The drug mediates a strong response in the immune system.
A gyógyszer erős immunválaszt közvetít.
In this process, a special protein mediates the signal between cells.
The scientist said that a tiny chemical mediates this effect.
In many diseases, the damage is mediated by the body’s own cells.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is a special scientific use and try to read it with the everyday "help solve a conflict" meaning, which does not fit technical texts.
Meaning
cause an effect as mechanism
Collocations
mediate an effect
|mediate a response
|mediate immune responses
|mediated by hormones
|receptor-mediated
|protein-mediated
Synonyms
trigger (Everyday and dynamic; suggests starting an effect, without focusing on being an intermediate step.)
Antonyms
inhibit (In technical contexts, refers to blocking or reducing a response instead of causing or carrying it.)
Themes
science
|medicine
|technology
Definition
In science, to be the thing in the middle that makes an effect happen.
In scientific or technical contexts, to bring about or transmit an effect by acting as the intermediate mechanism or agent.
C2
FORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
a mediate [position/step/cause]
He argued that there must be a mediate cause between the first cause and its final effects.
Azzal érvelt, hogy az első ok és annak végső hatásai között lennie kell egy közvetítő oknak.
The concept represents a mediate position between strict realism and idealism.
A fogalom a szigorú realizmus és az idealizmus közötti köztes álláspontot képvisel.
They focused on the mediate stages in the development of political authority.
Learner examples
This theory describes a mediate step between simple life and complex life.
Ez az elmélet egy köztes lépést ír le az egyszerű és az összetett életformák között.
The book talks about a mediate cause that comes between the first event and the final result.
A könyv egy közvetítő okról beszél, amely az első esemény és a végső eredmény között áll.
A mediate position is not extreme; it is between two sides.
Common mistake:
This use is rare and mostly appears in philosophy or theology. Learners may read it as a misspelling of "immediate" or confuse it with the verb "mediate" meaning to solve conflicts.
Meaning
in a middle or intermediate position
Collocations
mediate cause
|mediate step
|mediate position
|mediate stage
Synonyms
intermediate (More common; used in general English for something between two levels or stages.)
Antonyms
ultimate (In logical or causal chains, refers to the final or last element rather than a middle one.)
Themes
philosophy
|logic
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Being in the middle between two other things, levels, or steps.
Occupying a middle position between two other things in a series, scale, or level, especially in logical or philosophical discussion.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mediate
IPA
GB/mˈidiˌeɪt/
US/mˈidiˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
me - di - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (me)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: mediate
Verb
- Base: mediate
- 3rd Person Singular: mediates
- Present Participle: mediating
- Past: mediated
Word family
Expressions
mediate between
1/mˈidiˌeɪt bɪtwˈin/
fixed phrase
act between two sides in conflict
To stand in the middle of two people or groups and help them solve a problem or end a conflict.
Examples
- An experienced manager was brought in to mediate between the two teams.
- Could you mediate between your parents and your brother about the wedding plans?
- The organization often mediates between local communities and the government.
mediate in a dispute
1/mˈidiˌeɪt ˈɪn ə dɪspjˈut/
fixed phrase
help solve a specific dispute
To take part in a disagreement and try to help the sides find an agreement.
Examples
- The court refused to mediate in a dispute that should be handled by the company.
- They asked a respected elder to mediate in a dispute over land.
- The union leader agreed to mediate in a dispute between workers and management.