intervene

UK: /ˌɪntə^rˈviːn/ US: /ˌɪntɚˈvin/ ,(in′tər vēn′)

Inflections of 'intervene' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

intervenes

v 3rd person singular

intervening

v pres p

intervened

v past

intervened

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ter•vene /ˌɪntɚˈvin/   v. [no object] , -vened, -ven•ing. 

1. to come between people, groups, etc. who are disagreeing, in order to help make an agreement possible; intercede:
   His daughters would keep fighting until he intervened.
2. Government to occur or be between two things:
   A few years intervened before they met again.
3. to occur between other events or periods:
   Nothing important has intervened since then.
4. to interfere with force or a threat of force:
   to intervene in the affairs of another country.

in•ter•ven•tion /ˌɪntɚˈvɛnʃən/  n. [uncountable] See -ven-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ter•vene  (in′tər vēn′), v.i., -vened, -ven•ing. 

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

• Latin intervenīre to come between, equivalent. to inter- inter- + venīre to come; see convene
• 1580–90

Synonyms

• 1. arbitrate, interpose.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

intervene / ˌɪntəˈviːn/ verb (intransitive)

1. (often followed by in) to take a decisive or intrusive role (in) in order to modify or determine events or their outcome
2. followed by in or between: to come or be (among or between)
3. (of a period of time) to occur between events or points in time
4. (of an event) to disturb or hinder a course of action
5. to take action to affect the market forces of an economy, esp to maintain the stability of a currency
6. to interpose and become a party to a legal action between others, esp in order to protect one's interests

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin intervenīre to come between, from inter- + venīre to come

ˌinterˈvener, ˌinterˈvenor noun