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.
Cox Automative expects sales drops of more than nine percent for both General Motors and Ford compared with a year earlier, when both automakers reported sizzling sales amid the tariff headlines.
From Barron's
Still, sentiment in the oil-related sector deteriorated sharply amid market volatility, signaling that some businesses are starting to feel the pinch from the fallout of the conflict.
Some parents are reconsidering 529 college savings plans amid concerns about higher education’s value and competing financial goals.
Asian equities and government bonds rose Wednesday amid hopes for a quick end to the Middle East conflict.
A private gauge of China’s manufacturing activity eased from a five-year high in March, though it stayed in expansionary territory amid rising price and supply pressures.
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.
