intercession
/ˌɪn.təɹˈsɛ.ʃən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.76 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A prayer to God on behalf of another person; especially, such a prayer offered by a heavenly saint on behalf of a mere mortal who has prayed to the saint for such help.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
Etymology
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”.
Origin
- Source language: Middle French
- First known use: First attested in the early 15th Century
Word Breakdown
- Root: intercession, intercessiō