Intervene

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /ˌɪntərˈvin/

Definitions of intervene

verb to come between two things, people, or events in order to change or stop something

Example Sentences

A1 The teacher had to intervene when the students started arguing.

A2 The lifeguard intervened just in time to save the drowning swimmer.

B1 The police officer intervened to stop the fight between the two drunk men.

B2 The therapist intervened to help the patient work through their trauma.

C1 The government decided to intervene in the economic crisis to stabilize the market.

C2 The United Nations intervened to negotiate a peace agreement between the warring countries.

Examples of intervene in a Sentence

formal The government decided to intervene in the conflict to prevent further escalation.

informal I had to intervene when my friends started arguing about politics.

slang I had to step in and intervene before things got out of hand.

figurative Sometimes we need to let nature take its course and not intervene in every situation.

Grammatical Forms of intervene

past tense

intervened

plural

intervene

comparative

more intervene

superlative

most intervene

present tense

intervenes

future tense

will intervene

perfect tense

has intervened

continuous tense

is intervening

singular

intervene

positive degree

intervene

infinitive

to intervene

gerund

intervening

participle

intervening

Origin and Evolution of intervene

First Known Use: 1580 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'intervene' originated from the Latin word 'intervenire', which is a combination of 'inter' meaning 'between' and 'venire' meaning 'come'.
Evolution of the word: Initially used in the context of legal or diplomatic matters to signify coming between parties, the word 'intervene' has evolved to encompass a broader range of situations where one entity steps in between others to influence or alter a course of action.