middleman

noun

mid·​dle·​man ˈmi-dᵊl-ˌman 

: an intermediary or agent between two parties

especially : a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer

Synonyms

• broker
• buffer
• conciliator
• go-between
• honest broker
• interceder
• intercessor
• intermediary
• intermediate
• interposer
• mediator
• peacemaker

Examples of middleman in a Sentence

The Internet helps consumers save money by buying products directly from companies and eliminating the middleman.

We've cut out the middleman and can reduce prices for our customers.

He acted as the middleman in the talks between labor and management.

Recent Examples on the Web

These middlemen interact with insurance companies and drug manufacturers, but there is little publicly available data about their role in drug pricing. —Dr. Sejal Parekh, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024

Stuck In The Middle In this way, healthcare’s most entrenched middlemen are unlike the disruptive go-betweens of other industries. —Robert Pearl, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Cardinal Health is going from being a middleman to a legit services company under CEO Jason Hollar. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024

The former leader of theater-owner’s group NATO has a new way to get your independent film into movie theaters — one intended to cut out the middleman. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

middleman

noun

mid·​dle·​man ˈmid-ᵊl-ˌman 

: go-between

especially : a dealer between the producer of goods and the consumer