middle ground
Americannoun
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an intermediate position, area, or recourse between two opposites or extremes; a halfway or neutral standpoint.
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Nautical. a length of comparatively shallow water having channels on both sides.
noun
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another term for middle distance See middle-distance
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a position of compromise between two opposing views, parties, etc
Etymology
Origin of middle ground
First recorded in 1775–85
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.
Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the former executive editor of the Hollywood Reporter, sees Tilly occupying an uncomfortable middle ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
You can’t just go middle ground on this.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
A 20-year mortgage is also a middle ground.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The reluctance is felt throughout “Toy Story 5,” as the film tries to find a middle ground between its franchise’s historical love of play and the future’s embrace of screens.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
In the middle of the year the new kid would have reached the middle ground.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
