intervene

intervene — verb

1. to step into a situation where people are arguing, fighting, or in trouble, espe

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to step into a situation where people are arguing, fighting, or in trouble, especially in order to stop something bad from happening or to help solve a problem.

Example

Christopher intervened when his neighbours started arguing loudly about the fence.

intervene (intransitive) describing stepping into a dispute

The UN sent a team to intervene in the growing conflict between the two countries.

intervene + in + noun phrase (conflict/situation)

Common collocations
  • intervene in a dispute
  • intervene in a conflict
  • intervene on behalf of someone
  • intervene militarily
  • intervene directly
Synonyms
  • step in

    more informal and direct; implies acting quickly without formal authority

  • mediate

    more specific; acting as a neutral third party to help two sides reach agreement

  • arbitrate

    more formal; a neutral person makes a binding decision after hearing both sides

Antonyms
  • stay out of

    to deliberately avoid becoming involved

  • ignore

    to pay no attention to a problem that might need action

Grammar Patterns

intervene + in + noun phrase (e.g. intervene in a dispute)

intervene + on behalf of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently followed by the preposition 'in' to introduce the situation or 'on behalf of' to introduce the person being helped. Unlike the similar word 'interfere', this verb usually carries a positive or neutral tone — the intervention is meant to help, not to meddle.

Common Mistakes

The teacher intervened the fight between the two students.
The teacher intervened in the fight between the two students.
'Intervene' is intransitive and requires 'in' before the object.
The boss interfered in the team dispute to restore peace.
The boss intervened in the team dispute to restore peace.
'Interfere' suggests unwanted meddling, while 'intervene' suggests a helpful or necessary action.

2. to occur during the period separating two events or moments, often altering what

2.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to occur during the period separating two events or moments, often altering what was planned or causing a hold-up.

Example

Several months intervened between the earthquake and the arrival of emergency supplies.

temporal structure: [time period] + intervene + between + [event A] and + [event B]

A storm intervened as the rescue team was about to start the final climb.

[unexpected event] + intervene + to block or delay an action

Common collocations
  • months intervened
  • years intervened
  • intervene between events
  • intervening period
Synonyms
  • interrupt

    more active and direct; implies something stops an ongoing action

  • occur between

    neutral and literal; lacks the sense of disruption or delay

Grammar Patterns

[period of time] + intervene + between + [event A] and + [event B]

[unexpected event] + intervene + to delay/change plans

Usage Note

Subject is typically a period of time or an unexpected event. Often used in past tense to explain why something did not happen as planned. The intervening event is presented as an external circumstance, not a person's choice.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe becoming involved in a situation, but they differ in formality and the role of the person involved. 'Intervene' is the most neutral and widely used — it covers everything from a teacher stopping a classroom fight to a country sending troops to a conflict zone. 'Step in' is more informal and suggests a quick, practical action without formal authority, like a friend stepping in to pay for a meal when someone forgot their wallet. 'Mediate' implies acting as a neutral go-between to help two opposing sides reach an agreement, often in a workplace or legal context. 'Arbitrate' is the most formal — it describes a person with authority who listens to both sides and then makes a binding decision. For example: 'A colleague stepped in to calm the argument' (informal help), versus 'A professional mediator was brought in to resolve the contract dispute' (neutral facilitation), versus 'An independent judge arbitrated the labour dispute' (binding decision).

intervene ↗step inmediate ↗arbitrate

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • intervene directly
  • intervene quickly
  • intervene immediately

Prepositions

  • intervene in
  • intervene on behalf of
  • intervene between

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'intervene' comes from the Latin verb 'intervenire', which breaks down into 'inter-' meaning 'between' and 'venire' meaning 'to come'. So the original image is literally 'to come between' two people, things, or events — a meaning that still shines through in both modern senses.