mittelbar
Translation
indirect, mediate
Examples
Die Entscheidung hatte nur mittelbare Auswirkungen.
The decision only had indirect effects.
Er erfuhr die Nachricht nur mittelbar.
He learned the news only indirectly.
Grammar Patterns
mittelbar ((sth.)) beeinflussen to influence (sth.) indirectly Politics influences our lives indirectly.
etwas ((mittelbar)) erfahren to learn (sth.) indirectly He only learned of it indirectly.
Similar Words
Synonyms: indirect; Antonyms: unmittelbar, direct
Etymology
From 'Mittel' (means, medium) + '-bar' (suffix like '-able'). So, 'achievable through a medium', hence indirect.
Memory Tips
Think of something coming through a 'Mittel' (a middleman or medium), making it indirect. The opposite, 'unmittelbar', means 'un-mediated' or direct.