Betweener

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual situated in the middle of two distinct groups or categories fulfills the role of a connector or intermediary in social dynamics and can also represent varying degrees of age or ability
2. A person positioned between two factions or types, serving as a bridge or facilitator in interactions while embodying intermediate traits of age or competency
3. A person who stands between two separate entities, bridging gaps and sometimes embodying characteristics that are halfway between different ages or skill levels

Etymology: In English domestic service, a "betweenmaid," sometimes shortened to "betweener," was a junior servant who worked between the upper and lower staff. She helped the cook and the housemaid alike, carrying coal, scrubbing, and running errands for both, so her rank was ambiguous. Her name reflects that position in the household. The word is a plain formation: "between" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who stands between. Its broader sense, a person who mediates between two parties or sits in the middle of a group, is the one the meaning you gave captures. The domestic sense is the one most likely to explain why the word exists at all.

Synonyms: intermediary, mediator

Antonyms: extremist, radical