middleman
/'midlmæn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An intermediary or agent between parties: A "middleman" is a person or company that facilitates transactions or negotiations between producers and consumers, or between other parties in a business process.
- A person in a central or intermediate position: In a more general sense, it can refer to anyone who acts as an intermediary or link between two groups or individuals.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The farmer sells his crops to a middleman, who then distributes them to supermarkets.
- We cut costs by selling directly to customers and eliminating the middleman.
- He acted as a middleman in the negotiations between the two companies.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Economic Role: In economics, a middleman adds value through services like distribution, storage, or market information but also adds to the final cost.
- Critics argue that too many middlemen inflate the price of goods.
- Neutral vs. Negative Connotation: The term can be neutral, describing a standard business role, or negative, implying an unnecessary intermediary that increases costs without adding proportional value.
- (Neutral): A good middleman can help a small manufacturer reach international markets.
- (Negative): The artist wants to sell her paintings online to avoid the gallery middleman.
Variants and Related Words
- Intermediary (n): A more formal synonym for a person who acts as a link between people.
- Broker (n): A specific type of middleman who arranges transactions, especially in finance or real estate.
- Distributor (n): A middleman who sells goods, often in bulk, to retailers.
- Wholesaler (n): A middleman who buys goods in large quantities from producers and sells them in smaller quantities to retailers.
Synonyms
- Intermediary
- Go-between
- Agent
- Dealer
- Merchant (in certain contexts)
Related Phrases and Idioms
- Cut out the middleman: To deal directly with the source or end-user, bypassing intermediaries to save money or increase efficiency.
- By buying produce directly from the farm, we cut out the middleman.
Noun
- a person who is in a position to give you special assistance
- he used his business contacts to get an introduction to the governor
- the performer in the middle of a minstrel line who engages the others in talk
- someone who buys large quantities of goods and resells to merchants rather than to the ultimate customers