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.
As a middle ground, he decided to sign cards and only give money if he'd had direct contact.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is trying to occupy that middle ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“The pendulum swung the other way to budget versus talent, and there’s a middle ground to be found where you can still have the talent and the budget.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Local correspondent lenders offer a middle ground between a broker’s wide selection and a bank’s in-house processing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Most occupy a vast middle ground of ordinary, while others are more distinct: pleasant, even beautiful, or sometimes slippery and unaccountably wrong-feeling.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
