in medias res

American  

[in me-di-ahs res, in mee-dee-uhs reez, in mey-dee-ahs reys] / ɪn ˈmɛ dɪˌɑs ˈrɛs, ɪn ˈmi diˌəs ˈriz, ɪn ˈmeɪ diˌɑs ˈreɪs /

adverb

Latin.

1. in the middle of things.

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in medias res British  

/ ɪn ˈmiːdɪˌæs ˈreɪs /

1. in or into the middle of events or a narrative

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in medias res Cultural  

1. In the middle of the action. Epics often begin in medias res. For example, the Odyssey, which tells the story of the wanderings of the hero Odysseus, begins almost at the end of his wanderings, just before his arrival home. In medias res is a Latin phrase used by the poet Horace; it means “in the middle of things.”

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Etymology

Origin of in medias res

literally: into the midst of things, taken from a passage in Horace's Ars Poetica

Example Sentences

Nevertheless, if you’re exhausted with voiceover exposition, you’re probably also over in medias res openers, i.e. starting with a scene from the middle of the story before flashing back to the beginning.

From Salon

This poem by Lyudmyla Khersonsky begins in medias res with a dead body rather than the death itself, followed by a pile of urgent questions.

From New York Times

Unlike the retrospective perspective of the 2012 film, “How to Survive a Pandemic” unfolds in medias res — which, given the immensity of the still-ongoing crisis, is both the film’s strength and weakness.

From New York Times

It's quite the in medias res opener in a hospital emergency room with nearly the entire cast picking up straight where the season 1 finale left off.

From Salon

The story ends not exactly in medias res, but on a beat that begs continuation.

From New York Times