amid
1 Americanpreposition
-
in the middle of; surrounded by; among.
to stand weeping amid the ruins.
-
during; in or throughout the course of.
preposition
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of amid1
before 1000; Middle English amidde, Old English amiddan, for on middan “in (the) middle.” See a- 1, mid 1
Origin of amid-2
First recorded in 1870–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Amid this new conflict, said De Haan, there’s still a “very cloudy outlook” in terms of what level of retaliation Iran might pursue — with, notably, the supreme leader’s death now confirmed — and what that may mean for global supply and demand balances.
From MarketWatch
The group had been raising production quotas for most of last year but paused for the first quarter of 2026 amid expectations of a global oil-supply surplus.
From MarketWatch
But a review of court records and other documents offers a window into how a technology project envisioned as reshaping education crumbled amid allegations of fraud.
From Los Angeles Times
Amid the company’s purported success, Smith-Griffin’s public profile also grew.
From Los Angeles Times
He resigned in 2021 amid a U.K. regulatory investigation, which concluded he provided an incomplete picture of his relationship with Epstein.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
