amid

¹

[uh-mid]

preposition

1. in the middle of; surrounded by; among.

   to stand weeping amid the ruins.

2. during; in or throughout the course of.

amid-

²

1. variant of amido- before a vowel.

   amidase.

amid

/ əˈmɪd /

preposition

1. in the middle of; among

Word History and Origins

Origin of amid¹

before 1000; Middle English amidde, Old English amiddan, for on middan “in (the) middle.” See a- ¹, mid ¹

Origin of amid²

First recorded in 1870–75

Word History and Origins

Origin of amid¹

Old English on middan in the middle; see _mid ¹

Example Sentences

With their country enshrouded in trauma amid the ongoing war with Russia, a team hauled together shone brightly at a sun-drenched Hampden.

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But amid Birmingham's political tensions and the challenges many parts of the city face, billions of pounds are being invested.

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Instead, organisers have been left scrambling to organise a muted switch-on, with Sunday's event cancelled following advice from its safety advisory group, amid nationwide security concerns in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack.

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“It was pretty difficult for left-handed hitters,” Ohtani said in Japanese amid the Dodgers’ clubhouse celebration following their Game 4 victory.

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The vessel drifted for four hours with a 2.5-ton anchor at the end of a 590-foot chain, amid icebergs and near an underwater fiber optic cable.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When To Use

What’s the difference between amid and amidst?

Amid and amidst mean the same thing: in the middle of or during.This can apply to spaces (as in I found my keys amid/amidst all of my other stuff) or situations (as in It was hard to concentrate amid/amidst all the chaos).Amid is the older and original form of the word. The -st ending (which is the same one found in other words like whilst and against) does not change the meaning.  The same thing applies to among and amongst (which can mean the same thing as amid and amidst).Contrary to popular misconceptions, amidst is not the British English version of amid. Although amid and amidst are completely interchangeable, amid is more commonly used.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between amid and amidst, including how amidst got that -st.