intermediation

Acting as middleman

Intermediation is the act of serving as a go-between in transactions or negotiations.

In finance, banks perform intermediation by taking deposits from savers and lending to borrowers—connecting parties who might not find each other directly.

Financial intermediation reduces transaction costs for everyone involved.

The term appears most often in economics and business contexts, where intermediaries add value by matching buyers with sellers, managing risk, or providing expertise that neither party possesses independently.

brokerage

middleman

Agent linking two parties

  • brokerTransaction intermediary for hire
  • agentOne who acts independently
  • go-betweenAgent connecting separate parties

liaison · dealer · representative · matchmaker · facilitator · intercessor · conciliator · envoy · emissary · spokesperson

mediation

arbitration

Non-court binding dispute resolution

peacemaking · settlement · compromise · peacekeeping · intercession · adjudication · truce · ceasefire · ombudsman

financial

banking

Financial institution transactions

lending · credit · debt · equity · transactions · liquidity · clearinghouse · escrow · syndication · spread

digital

platform

Raised flat structure

gateway · portal · exchange · hub · clearinghouse · e-commerce · fintech · peer-to-peer · crowdfunding · ride-sharing

facilitation

enablement

Act of making possible

streamlining · guidance · optimization · empowerment · catalyst · bridge-building · convening · matchmaking · connection · platform

Opposites
directness of transaction or relationship

intermediationdisintermediation

Removing middlemen from transactions

direct exchange · peer-to-peer · face-to-face · direct access · direct lending

structural simplicity

intermediationdisintermediation

Removing middlemen from transactions

simplification · streamlining · directness · immediacy · consolidation

market structure

intermediationdisintermediation

Removing middlemen from transactions

direct lending · peer-to-peer lending · crowdfunding · direct investment · DeFi

Family

immediate, mediate, mediation, intermediate, intermediary, intervention, immediacy, intermediates, interposition

Familiarity
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Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G