happy medium

noun

1. a course of action or condition that is between two extremes.

   Our climate is a happy medium between hot and cold.

2. a satisfactory compromise between two things that are related in such a way that one increases as the other decreases.

   We need to find a happy medium between conserving land and developing property.

happy medium

noun

1. a course or state that avoids extremes

Word History and Origins

Origin of happy medium¹

First recorded in 1615–25

Idioms and Phrases

The midway point between two extremes. For example, We need to find a happy medium between overdoing the holiday season and ignoring it entirely. This expression, first recorded in 1778, was once known as the golden mean and is based on ancient mathematical principles.