intr.v. in·ter·vened, in·ter·ven·ing, in·ter·venes 1. a. To involve oneself in a situation so as to alter or hinder an action or development: "Every gardener faces choices about how and how much to intervene in nature's processes" (Dora Galitzki). b. To interfere, usually through force or threat of force, in the affairs of another nation. c. Law To enter into a lawsuit as a third party to assert a claim against one or both of the existing parties. 2. To come, appear, or lie between two things: You can't see the lake from there because the house intervenes. 3. To come or occur between two periods or points of time: A year intervened between the two dynasties. 4. To occur as an extraneous or unplanned circumstance: He would have his degree by now if his laziness hadn't intervened. [Latin intervenīre : inter-, inter- + venīre, to come; see gwā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] in′ter·venor, in′ter·vener n. in′ter·vention·al adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.