Midwest

American  

[mid-west] / ˈmɪdˈwɛst /

noun

1. the north-central region of the United States, especially the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

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adjective

1. Midwestern.

Midwest British  

/ ˈmɪdˈwɛst /

noun

1. the N central part of the US; the region consisting of the states from Ohio westwards that border on the Great Lakes, often extended to include the upper Mississippi and Missouri valleys

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Usage

What does Midwest mean? The Midwest is the northern central area of the mainland United States. Generally, the boundaries of the Midwest are Canada to the north, the Rocky Mountains to the west, the southern borders of Missouri and Kansas to the south, and the Allegheny Mountains to the east. Sometimes the Midwest is thought of as extending to the eastern border of Illinois or Ohio. The Midwest is one of the United States’ four official regions as defined by the U. S. Census Bureau. Because the Census Bureau doesn’t divide states when defining regions, it sets Ohio as the Midwest’s eastern border. According to the Census, 12 states are located within the Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Americans themselves often differ in terms of which states they consider to be in the Midwest. Sometimes, states on the fringes, such as Ohio or North Dakota, aren’t considered to be a part of the Midwest. Adjective forms of Midwest include Midwestern and Middle Western, but Midwest can also be used as an adjective, as in Midwest states. A person from the Midwest can be called a Midwesterner. Much less commonly, it’s called the Middle West. Example: I always love to travel to the central United States to see the beautiful scenery of the Midwest.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Midwesterner
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Midwest

First recorded in 1890–95; mid- + west

Example Sentences

Florsheim, who is now represented by lawyers from the nonprofit Midwest Environmental Advocates, has appealed his case to a higher court.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

And for good reason: Zimmern, who partnered with Casey’s on a seasonal pie, fell in love with the Midwest business after learning that each location makes its dough from scratch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Once those patterns emerge, Hansen said, they can move teleoperations to cheaper locations abroad or to the Midwest.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Case-Shiller’s data show that price gains are strongest in the Northeast and Midwest, “while much of the Sunbelt and Western regions are still seeing declines,” he wrote.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Unfortunately, the Midwest team, led by Marjory Muldauer, did it in under an hour.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein