Middle West

American  

[mid-l west] / ˈmɪd l ˈwɛst /

noun

1. a less common term for Midwest.

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Middle West British  

noun

1. another name for the Midwest

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Usage

What does Middle West mean? Middle West is a less common name for the Midwest—the northern central area of the mainland United States.Generally, the boundaries of the Middle West are Canada to the north, the Rocky Mountains to the west, the southern borders of Missouri and Kansas to the south, and the Allegheny Mountains to the east. Sometimes the Middle West is thought of as extending to the eastern border of Illinois or Ohio.The Midwest is one of the United States’ four official regions as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Because the Census Bureau doesn’t divide states when defining regions, it sets Ohio as its eastern border. According to the Census, 12 states are located within the Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota.Americans themselves often differ in terms of which states they consider to be in the Midwest. Sometimes, states on the fringes, such as Ohio or North Dakota, aren’t considered to be a part of the Midwest.Middle Western is an adjective form of Middle West, but Midwestern is much more commonly used. Similarly, someone from the Middle West can be called a Middle Westerner, but Midwesterner is much more common.Example: I’d love to visit the central United States and see the beautiful scenery of the Middle West.

Other Word Forms

• Middle Westerner noun

Etymology

Origin of Middle West

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Lauck, an adjunct history teacher at the University of South Dakota and editor of the academic journal Middle West Review, recognizes the imperfections of the region’s progressive virtues during this era.

From Washington Post

Could the wholesome landlubbers of the middle west match the Twitter-crashing debauchery of the coastal heathens after a longgggg Super Bowl drought?

From Golf Digest

So while this is sure to ruffle some good, God-fearin' feathers in the Middle West, we are absolutely, sickeningly giddy to announce that for the first time since Thanksgiving 1973, a Notre Dame home game will not be a sellout this weekend.

From Golf Digest

“In a regular year we might bring in 7,500 on tours, now with Service Bar we’ll bring in 50,000,” said Brady Konya, who founded Middle West Spirits with his business partner, Ryan Lang, the grandson of a bootlegger.

From New York Times

Middle West Spirits, an 11-year-old distillery in the artsy Short North neighborhood, was a major player, along with Watershed Distillery, in getting the Ohio law revised.

From New York Times