amid

¹ American  

[uh-mid] / əˈmɪd /

preposition

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

   to stand weeping amid the ruins.

2. during; in or throughout the course of.

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amid- ² American  

1. variant of amido- before a vowel.

   amidase.

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amid British  

/ əˈmɪd /

preposition

1. in the middle of; among

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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

Oil futures rose in early trade on a likely technical recovery after the futures fell markedly overnight amid hopes for a quick end to the Mideast conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal

Employment in the county surged during the tech boom of the 1990s, then sank amid the 2009 recession, when joblessness exceeded 25%.

From The Wall Street Journal

Between the passion project and two highly-rated Hulu shows, which continue to stream on the platform despite eventual plans to merge into the Disney+ app, Reyes is not taking her spotlight for granted — especially amid a sinking Hollywood industry model that’s made it difficult for some to find work — “I’m milking it for all it’s about,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

The eye-watering level of funding came in higher than originally projected, reflecting the surging costs of computing power and arriving amid lingering questions about whether OpenAI and other AI companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover expenses.

From Barron's

The dollar’s safe-haven role amid the Iran conflict triggered a rally, with gains of 1.56% against the yen and 0.96% versus the Swiss franc.

From Barron's