Inter is a Latin prefix meaning “between” or “among.” When you see inter- at the start of a word, it signals that something involves two or more things interacting, connecting, or existing between each other.

An international flight travels between nations. An interstate highway connects different states. When you interrupt someone, you break into the space between their words. During intermission at a play, there's a break between acts. Interaction means action happening between people or things.

The prefix shows up everywhere once you start noticing it. Interplanetary travel goes between planets. An intermediate level falls between beginner and advanced. When you intervene in an argument between friends, you step into the space between them to help resolve it.

You can also use inter as a verb meaning to bury a dead body in the ground. In this sense, a body might be interred in a cemetery.

Understanding inter- helps you decode dozens of words. Whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word starting with this prefix, ask yourself: what's happening between things here? That question often unlocks the meaning.