Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Intercede for or intercede on?

Intercede for is the standard form when speaking on someone else's behalf. On is usually part of the phrase on behalf of.

Quick answer

Which form is standard?

Use intercede for someone when pleading or acting on their behalf. Intercede on alone is not standard, but intercede on behalf of someone is common.

She interceded for her friend.
The lawyer interceded on behalf of the client.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
intercede for + person

Acting on someone's behalf

Use intercede for when trying to help or defend someone.

He interceded for the prisoner.
2
intercede with + authority

Appealing to someone in power

Use intercede with to show the person or institution being approached.

They interceded with the committee.
3
intercede on behalf of + person

Formal advocacy

This longer expression is common in legal, political, and formal contexts.

The ambassador interceded on behalf of the workers.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
intercede for
She interceded for her brother.
plead or act for someone
intercede on
Intercede on is not usually used alone in standard English.
normally replaced by on behalf of
intercede with
They interceded with the judge.
appeal to an authority
intercede on behalf of
He interceded on behalf of the family.
act in support of someone

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using intercede on without a complement

On normally needs a phrase such as on behalf of.

✕ She interceded on her friend. ✓ She interceded for her friend.

Confusing the person helped and the authority addressed

Use for for the person helped and with for the authority.

✕ They interceded for the mayor. ✓ They interceded with the mayor.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The priest interceded ___ the villagers.
2. She interceded ___ the board to delay the decision.
3. He interceded on behalf ___ his colleague.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is intercede for formal?

Yes. It is more formal than help or speak up for.

Can intercede be used without an object?

Yes. For example: Several leaders interceded during the negotiations.

What is the difference between intercede for and advocate for?

Intercede for often suggests direct intervention in a difficult situation, while advocate for is broader and more general.

identify-with-by-in-as, for "ignore by" or "ignore in"? illuminate by, with, at, for or in? "illustrate by" or "illustrate in"? "imagine for", "imagine by" or "imagine in"? imbue with, in, by or onto? immigrate to, from, in, with or into? impair by, for, in, because or throughout? "impart to", "impart in" or "impart by"? "impeach by" or "impeach for"? "impinge on" or "impinge upon"? "implement in" or "implement by"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account