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intercession

intercession

5 8.9
A prayer to God for another person
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntərˈsɛʃən/
translation icon : intercesión
  • We must all ask Our Lady's intercession for a truly fruitful year for the whole Church.
  • intercession to the Virgin
  • Mary's intercession

It's seeking the Creator within yourself through meditation, prayer, intercession, worship, devotion.

Examples

  • Uncle Abner, we are in need of your intercession.

  • All ye men and women, saints of God... make intercession for us.

  • Thanks to the kind intercession of Queen Anne.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • May your intercession be a shield and grace for us.

    Academic text (1998)
  • We thank you in advance for the Holy Spirit's daily intercession on her behalf.

    Blog text (23)
  • His account of a miracle worked through the intercession of Dorothy Day appears here.

    Blog text (28)
  • We ask the Almighty that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

    Blog text (24)
  • I give thanks for the 26th year of my priesthood, relying still on the intercession of Saint Gertrude.

    Blog text (19)
  • Many believe that the EDSA revolution was successful due to Mary's intercession in response to the Filipinos' devotion to her.

    Academic text (2006)
  • During the service, we offered a prayer of intercession for those suffering from illness.

Synonyms

prayer
vsintercession
530 1.0

Talking to God to ask for help or give thanks

is used when speaking to a deity for someone else rather than for oneself
invocation
vsintercession
  • Formal
9 7.4

A short prayer asking for help or blessing at the start of a service

is for asking help for someone else, not mainly a ritual opening
supplication
vsintercession
  • Formal
8 8.7

A humble request for help from someone in power or from God

is a prayer offered for another person rather than a personal plea
intercessional
vsintercession
  • Specialized
9.8

A prayer that asks for help for other people

is a prayer made specifically for one other person rather than groups

Antonyms

71 4.6

Lack of interest or concern about something

50 3.0

Caring only about yourself and not about other people

How Urgent

supplication
  • Formal
8 8.7
intercession
5 8.9
prayer
530 1.0

Surface Forms

intercession singular
intercessions plural

Morphology

intercession = intercede (semi-transparent) = inter + cede + sion

Formally derived from the verb 'intercede' using the noun-forming suffix '-sion', but the specifically religious sense 'a prayer on behalf of another' is narrower and may not be obvious to all learners.

Etymology

The word intercession comes from the Latin parts inter- 'between' and cedere 'to go', so it literally means 'to go between'. A helpful image is someone who goes between a person and God to speak for them, which is why intercession means a prayer offered on behalf of another.