Intercession

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of intervening or pleading on behalf of another person, especially in prayer or mediation
2. The process of intervening for someone else, particularly through prayer or mediation, often to seek assistance or favor on their behalf
3. Engaging in advocacy or mediation to support an individual, generally involving supplication or prayer to influence outcomes in their favor

Etymology: Latin "intercēdere" was a compound of "inter-" ("between") and "cēdere" ("to go" or "to move"), so its literal sense was "to go between." That physical image of stepping into the middle of two parties carried over into the legal and political sense of standing between a wrongdoer and a punishment, or between a petitioner and a powerful person, on someone else's behalf. The Latin noun "intercessio" grew out of that verb, and English took the idea in the early 15th century, first through Middle French and Old French. Note that the English verb "cede," meaning to yield or surrender, comes from the same "cēdere" root. The "go" in "intercede" is the same movement that, in "cede," became a giving way. Both words grew from the sense of moving, though in one case the movement is toward someone else in the middle, and in the other it is backing away.

Synonyms: mediation, intervention, pleading, appeal, advocacy

Antonyms: abandonment, neglect, indifference, inattention, disregard