midterm

[ mid-turm ]

/ ˈmɪdˌtɜrm /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for midterm on Thesaurus.com

noun

the middle or halfway point of a term, as a school term or term of office.

Often midterms. Informal. an examination or series of examinations at the middle of a school term.

adjective

pertaining to or occurring on or about the middle of a term, as a school term or term of office: a midterm recess; midterm elections.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of midterm

First recorded in 1865–70; mid- + term

Words nearby midterm

Midsummer Eve, midsummer madness, midsummer-men, Midsummer's Day, mid-teen, midterm, midtown, Midvale, mid-Victorian, midwall column, midwatch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use midterm in a sentence

The only recent example of the president’s party gaining House seats in a midterm election came in 2002, after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Republicans worry their big tent will mean big problems in 2022 elections|Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
It has been longer, 42 years, since a Democratic president escaped his first midterm election without losing control of Congress.
The Trailer: What's next for the Republican Party|David Weigel|January 19, 2021|Washington Post
With the 2022 midterms on the horizon, Democrats want to replicate their success in other states — particularly North Carolina, another Southern Sunbelt state with an open Senate seat in the next midterm cycle.
Georgia went blue. Can Democrats make it happen elsewhere?|Ella Nilsen|January 15, 2021|Vox
For all that said, the tendency of the opposition party to regain ground at the midterms is very strong.
Georgia Was A Disaster For Republicans, And It’s Not Clear Where They Can Go Next|Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com)|January 11, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

For instance, the GOP agenda in 2017 and 2018, trying to repeal Obamacare and cut taxes for corporations, was fairly unpopular with Republican voters, but those voters still overwhelmingly backed GOP candidates in the 2018 midterms.
Will The Debate Over $2,000 Stimulus Checks Help Democrats In Georgia?|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|December 31, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The 2014 midterm elections are just months behind us, but already Flake feels the pressure of the 2016 presidential elections.
Can This Republican Bring the GOP Back to Its Senses on Immigration?|Tim Mak|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why else would $4 billion have been spent on the midterm election?
When Will We See a #Millennial Congress?|Linda Killian|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With the midterm elections safely in the rearview mirror, Obama is on legacy patrol.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1994 and in 2010 the GOP turned in strong midterm performances, and then saw Clinton and Obama win reelection.
With Immigration Move, Obama and the Welfare Party Strike Again|Lloyd Green|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They have one big problem: Republican midterm gains had more to do with a sagging Democrat brand than an attractive GOP platform.
How a GOP Senate Can Help the Poor|Veronique de Rugy|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It had taken him until his senior midterm vacation to wangle an invitation to the dome-house on Luna.
The Cosmic Computer|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for midterm

midterm

/ (ˈmɪdˈtɜːm) /

noun

the middle of a term in a school, university, etc
(as modifier)midterm exam

US politics

the middle of a term of office, esp of a presidential term, when congressional and local elections are held
(as modifier)midterm elections

the middle of the gestation period
(as modifier)midterm checkup See term (def. 6)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

midterm

Origin of midterm

Words nearby midterm

Words related to midterm

How to use midterm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for midterm