mediate
gb/mˈidiˌeɪt/ us/mˈidiˌeɪt/
B2
Inglés
~ 7700
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B2
action
1
help two sides settle a dispute
To talk with two people or groups who disagree and help them find a solution.
Patrón de uso:
to mediate between [people] (in [a dispute])
Error frecuente:
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".
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
escalate (Means to make a conflict bigger or more serious, instead of helping to end it.)
Colocaciones
mediate a dispute
|mediate a conflict
|mediate an agreement
|mediate between the parties
|mediate peace talks
|act as a mediator
Temas
law
|work
|politics
|relationships
Ejemplos
- The union asked an outside expert to mediate the contract talks.
- She was invited to mediate between the two departments after months of tension.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My parents had to mediate when my brother and I argued about money.
- A teacher can mediate a problem between two students.
- 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.
Verbo
formal
C1
action
2
be the channel for something
To be the thing in the middle that shapes how we feel, see, or get something.
Patrón de uso:
to mediate [experience/process] through [something]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
bypass (Means to go around any middle step or medium so that something happens directly.)
Colocaciones
mediate experience
|mediate relationships
|mediate access
|socially mediated
|culturally mediated
|technology-mediated
Temas
technology
|society
|culture
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Our experience of the world is increasingly mediated by digital platforms.
- Social norms mediate how people express their emotions in public.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Today, much of our news is mediated by social media.
- Rules in a culture mediate how people behave.
- 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.
adjective
formal
C1
property
3
indirect, via some medium
Happening or felt through something in the middle, not in a direct way.
Patrón de uso:
a mediate [experience/process/interaction]
Error frecuente:
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".
Sinónimos
indirect (Broader and more common; does not always stress the idea of a specific medium or channel.)
Antónimos
direct (Means happening immediately between things or people, without any middle step or channel.)
Colocaciones
mediate experience
|mediate interaction
|mediate communication
|media-mediated
|computer-mediated
|digitally mediated
Temas
technology
|communication
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- In many modern friendships, contact is largely mediate, taking place through phones and social networks.
- The study focuses on mediate forms of learning that take place through online platforms.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Most of my mediate communication with friends is by text and chat apps.
- Online games give people a mediate form of social life.
- 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.
Verbo
technical
C2
action
4
cause an effect as mechanism
In science, to be the thing in the middle that makes an effect happen.
Patrón de uso:
to mediate [effect/response] in [system/organism]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
trigger (Everyday and dynamic; suggests starting an effect, without focusing on being an intermediate step.)
Antónimos
inhibit (In technical contexts, refers to blocking or reducing a response instead of causing or carrying it.)
Colocaciones
mediate an effect
|mediate a response
|mediate immune responses
|mediated by hormones
|receptor-mediated
|protein-mediated
Temas
science
|medicine
|technology
Ejemplos
- Cytokines mediate inflammatory responses in the body.
- The study found that this protein mediates the cell’s reaction to stress.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- In biology, hormones often mediate changes in the body.
- The drug mediates a strong response in the immune system.
- 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.
adjective
formal
C2
property
5
in a middle or intermediate position
Being in the middle between two other things, levels, or steps.
Patrón de uso:
a mediate [position/step/cause]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
intermediate (More common; used in general English for something between two levels or stages.)
Antónimos
ultimate (In logical or causal chains, refers to the final or last element rather than a middle one.)
Colocaciones
mediate cause
|mediate step
|mediate position
|mediate stage
Temas
philosophy
|logic
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He argued that there must be a mediate cause between the first cause and its final effects.
- The concept represents a mediate position between strict realism and idealism.
- They focused on the mediate stages in the development of political authority.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- This theory describes a mediate step between simple life and complex life.
- The book talks about a mediate cause that comes between the first event and the final result.
- A mediate position is not extreme; it is between two sides.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
mediate
AFI
GB/mˈidiˌeɪt/
US/mˈidiˌeɪt/
Sílabas y acento
me - di - ate (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (me)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: mediate
Verb
- Base: mediate
- 3rd Person Singular: mediates
- Present Participle: mediating
- Past: mediated
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.