intercede

verb

in·​ter·​cede ˌin-tər-ˈsēd 

interceded; interceding

intransitive verb

: to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences : mediate

interceder noun

Did you know?

The Latin cedere means "to go", so "go between" is the most literal meaning of intercede. (The same -cede root can also be seen in such words as precede and secede.) If you've been blamed unfairly for something, a friend may intercede on your behalf with your coach or teacher. More often, it will be the coach or teacher who has to intercede in a student dispute. The intercession of foreign governments has sometimes prevented conflicts from becoming worse than they otherwise would have.

Synonyms

• intervene
• interfere

Choose the Right Synonym for intercede

interpose, interfere, intervene, mediate, intercede mean to come or go between.

interpose often implies no more than this.

interposed herself between him and the door

interfere implies hindering.

noise interfered with my concentration

intervene may imply an occurring in space or time between two things or a stepping in to stop a conflict.

quarreled until the manager intervened

mediate implies intervening between hostile factions.

mediated between the parties

intercede implies acting for an offender in begging mercy or forgiveness.

interceded on our behalf

Examples of intercede in a Sentence

Their argument probably would have become violent if I hadn't interceded.

When the boss accused her of lying, several other employees interceded on her behalf.

Recent Examples on the Web

The woman, who doctors said had a low chance of survival, was said to have healed miraculously after praying for Acutis to intercede, according to Vatican News. —Lauren Costantino september 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025

After the news surfaced, Erika Hilton, a trans Brazilian politician, urged the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intercede on behalf of Barbosa, fearing for her safety and calling the arrest suspicious and violent, according to a translation. —Mikelle Street, Them., 26 Aug. 2025

The Mediterranean has also been the site of some of the most high-profile international efforts to intercede on Gazans’ behalf. —Cnn’s Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 27 July 2025

But kismet interceded when Diplo found himself in the studio with Teddy Park, who’s written dozens of hits for K-Pop acts including 2NE1 and BigBang, and who is the creative director and lead producer for BLACKPINK. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 23 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin intercedere, from inter- + cedere to go

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intercede

• aniseed
• centipede
• cottonseed
• disagreed
• ganymede
• guaranteed
• overspeed
• pedigreed
• refereed
• supercede
• supersede
• underfeed

Kids Definition

intercede

verb

in·​ter·​cede ˌint-ər-ˈsēd 

interceded; interceding

1

: to act as a go-between for hostile parties

2

: to plead in behalf of another