intervene

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/ See IPA manual

Freq #10875

Meanings

1

verb
To become involved in a situation in order to change or stop something.

The police had to intervene to stop the fight.
2

verb
To happen between two events or points in time.

Several years intervened before they met again.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to become involved in a... interferestep ininterpose

Word family

Forms intervenedintervenesintervening

Derived forms intervenabilityintervenableinterveneeintervenorinterventivereintervene

Related forms intervenerintervention

Etymology

Back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb).

*gʷem- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# intervene

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/
**Frequency rank:** 10875

## Meanings
1. To become involved in a situation in order to change or stop something.
2. To happen between two events or points in time.

## Examples
- The police had to intervene to stop the fight.
- Several years intervened before they met again.

## Derived Forms
- intervenability
- intervenable
- intervenee
- intervenor
- interventive
- reintervene

## Related Forms
- intervener
- intervention

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʷem-

## Etymology
Back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb).

## AI Etymology
Intervene is a back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb). The historical chain includes *gʷem- (Proto-Indo-European). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as intervenability, intervenable, intervenee, and intervenor and related forms such as intervener and intervention. In present use it covers to become involved in a situation in order to change or stop something and to happen between two events or points in time.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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