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

• Midwesterner
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Midwest

First recorded in 1890–95; mid- + west

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Midwest

Why have home prices been so stunningly stable in the Midwest, while cities like San Diego and even Dallas have seen faster price growth?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

Home prices in America have changed dramatically over the last century — but the Midwest has remained a bastion of affordability through it all.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

You’re both from the Midwest, you both dropped out of college, and you both have built these political media empires.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

Heavy rainfall has moved eastward from the Midwest to the central Appalachians, the National Weather Service said, bringing the threat of flash flooding to West Virginia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

I said, curious; I had always pictured Henry teaching Greek, in some forlorn but excellent college out in the Midwest.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt