interposition
|in-ter-po-si-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɪn.tər.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɪn.tə.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
placing or intervening between
Etymology
'interposition' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'interpositio', where 'inter-' meant 'between' and 'ponere' (past participle 'positus') meant 'to place'.
'interpositio' passed into Medieval Latin and Old French forms and entered Middle English as 'interposicioun' or 'interposition', eventually becoming the modern English 'interposition'.
Initially, it meant 'the act of placing between' or 'a placing between', but over time it broadened to include 'intervention' or 'mediation' and specific legal/political senses of 'asserting a right to intervene'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or instance of placing or inserting something between two things; insertion or placement between.
The interposition of a thin membrane separated the two chambers.
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Noun 2
the act of intervening or mediating between parties; intervention, often to prevent or modify an action.
The senator's interposition helped to calm tensions during the debate.
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Noun 3
in constitutional or legal contexts, the assertion by a state or authority of the right to interpose itself between its citizens and the federal government or between two parties.
The doctrine of interposition was invoked by the state legislature in opposition to the federal ruling.
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Last updated: 2025/11/06 14:21