# intervene

Pronunciation: US say "in-tur-VEEN" /ˌɪntɚˈvin/; UK say "in-tuh-VEEN" /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/

## Verb

1. To get involved in a situation with the aim of changing its course or keeping something from being done.
   - Simple: To step into a situation in order to change or stop what is happening.
   - _The government chose to intervene in the dispute before it escalated further._
   - _She intervened to stop her colleague from making a costly mistake._
2. To say something in the middle of others' conversation, or to step in and respond to a situation involving other people.
   - Simple: To say something while others are talking, or to step in and deal with a situation that involves them.
   - _Before the debate grew heated, the moderator chose to intervene._
   - _She intervened in the discussion to correct a misunderstanding._
3. To occur or act in a way that creates an obstacle or causes a delay.
   - Simple: To happen in a way that gets in the way or causes a delay.
   - _Family obligations intervened, and the project slipped by several months._
   - _Should no emergencies intervene, the launch will proceed as scheduled._
4. To occur or fall between points in time or between events.
   - Simple: To happen in the time between two events or dates.
   - _Two decades intervened between his first novel and his second._
   - _The years that intervene between graduation and retirement shape a career._
5. To occupy the space between people or things, or to come into that position.
   - Simple: To be or come between two people or things.
   - _Thick walls intervene between the apartments to reduce noise._
   - _Several rows of seats intervened between us and the stage._
6. To enter a lawsuit to which one is not already a party, in order to assert one's own interest in the matter.
   - Simple: To join a court case you were not part of, in order to protect your own interest in it.
   - _The insurer moved to intervene in the suit, claiming a direct financial stake._
   - _Several environmental groups intervened in the case challenging the permit._

## Origin

This word is a back-formation from 'intervention', and/or comes from the Latin verb 'intervenio', meaning 'to come between'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/intervene (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).