Meanings
plural intercessions
- countableuncountableThe act of intervening or mediating between two parties.
1 more example
Lady Marchmont found her companions in no mood for discourse. Her husband was asleep, and Ethel's languid voice was scarcely audible when she forced a reply to some trilling question; and Henrietta could perceive, from the convulsive movement, and from the short suppressed sob, that she was weeping. When they arrived at home, the light showed Ethel so pale, so worn out, that she thought all attempt at any intercession were best deferred to the morrow. It must, also, be confessed, that she felt too weary for much eloquence as a pleader.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 69–70
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe act of intervening (as to mediate a dispute, etc.)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinintercessiō
- Old Frenchintercession
- Middle Frenchintercession
- Englishintercession
First attested in the early 15th Century. From Middle French intercession, from Old French intercession, from Latin intercessiō, from intercēdō, from inter- (“between”) + cēdō (“to go”) (English cede), literally “go-between”.
More words from Middle French, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic وَسَاطَة, شَفَاعَة
- وَسَاطَة (wasāṭa)the act of intervening
- شَفَاعَة (šafāʕa)a prayer to God on behalf of another person
Bulgarian застъпничество, ходатайство
- застъпничество (zastăpničestvo)the act of intervening
- ходатайство (hodatajstvo)the act of intervening
Catalan intercessió
- intercessióa prayer to God on behalf of another person
Chinese Mandarin 代禱 /代祷
- 代禱 /代祷 (dàidǎo)a prayer to God on behalf of another person
Danish formidling, mellemkomst
- formidlingthe act of intervening
- mellemkomstthe act of intervening
- forbøna prayer to God on behalf of another person
Dutch voorspraak
- voorspraakthe act of intervening
French intercession, intercession
- intercessionthe act of intervening
- intercessiona prayer to God on behalf of another person
German Fürbitte, Fürsprache
- Fürbittea prayer to God on behalf of another person
- Fürsprachea prayer to God on behalf of another person
Hungarian közbenjárás
- közbenjárásthe act of intervening
Icelandic meðalganga, fyrirbæn
- meðalgangathe act of intervening
- fyrirbæna prayer to God on behalf of another person
- bænarstaðura prayer to God on behalf of another person
Irish idirghuí
- idirghuía prayer to God on behalf of another person
Italian intercessione
- intercessionea prayer to God on behalf of another person
Persian شفاعت
- شفاعت (šafâ'at)a prayer to God on behalf of another person
Polish wstawiennictwo, interwencja
- wstawiennictwothe act of intervening
- interwencjathe act of intervening
- modlitwa wstawienniczaa prayer to God on behalf of another person
Portuguese intercessão, intercessão
- intercessãothe act of intervening
- intercessãoa prayer to God on behalf of another person
Russian посре́дничество
- посре́дничество (posrédničestvo)the act of intervening
Spanish intercesión
- intercesióna prayer to God on behalf of another person
Swedish förbön
- förböna prayer to God on behalf of another person
Ukrainian заступництво
- заступництво (zastupnyctvo)a prayer to God on behalf of another person
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
intercession. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intercession
“intercession.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intercession. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “intercession,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intercession.
Source: intercession on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.