middle-of-the-road
Americanadjective
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favoring, following, or characterized by an intermediate position between two extremes, especially in politics; moderate.
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of, relating to, or describing a type of popular music that avoids extremes of style and is catchy and tuneful enough to have broad appeal. MOR
noun
adjective
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not extreme, esp in political views; moderate
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of, denoting, or relating to popular music having a wide general appeal
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of middle-of-the-road
An Americanism dating back to 1890–95
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.
Aiming for middle-of-the-road returns could still be a compelling strategy if the midcaps produced superior risk-adjusted performance.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Stevens, 43, took a more moderate approach, pitching herself as the middle-of-the-road candidate who would appeal to voters unsure of which party to back in November.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
That middle-of-the-road phrasing is a result of the rising perils of wading into hot-button issues in recent years.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
The team’s middle-of-the-road defense had no answer for Phoenix’s dizzying offense that shot 57% from the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
For in 1912 Wilson had been in effect the middle-of-the-road candidate, the conservative liberal.
From Woodrow Wilson's Administration and Achievements by Frank B. Lord
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.
