Midwest

[mid-west]

noun

1. the north-central region of the United States, especially the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

adjective

1. Midwestern.

Midwest

/ ˈmɪdˈwɛst /

noun

1. the N central part of the US; the region consisting of the states from Ohio westwards that border on the Great Lakes, often extended to include the upper Mississippi and Missouri valleys

Other Word Forms

• Midwesterner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Midwest¹

First recorded in 1890–95; mid- + west

Example Sentences

Harris, faulted for failing to connect with voters about their economic pain in battleground states in the Midwest and Southwest, criticized former President Biden about his administration’s priorities.

From Los Angeles Times

San Francisco-based Charm Industrial, whose technology doesn’t involve energy generation, began its sequestration efforts in the Midwest and plans to expand into Louisiana.

From Los Angeles Times

A recent study by Stanford University and the University of Illinois found that the Midwest is particularly at risk for crop-yield losses, even with modern farming adaptations.

From Salon

It’s her most personal album since her 2016 debut, “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter,” full stop.

From Los Angeles Times

"Canada's failure to contain massive wildfires," Callahan wrote in August, "has harmed the health and quality of life of more than 20 million Americans in the Midwest."

From BBC

When To Use

What does Midwest mean?

The Midwest is the northern central area of the mainland United States.Generally, the boundaries of the Midwest 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 Midwest 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 the Midwest’s 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.Adjective forms of Midwest include Midwestern and Middle Western, but Midwest can also be used as an adjective, as in Midwest states. A person from the Midwest can be called a Midwesterner. Much less commonly, it’s called the Middle West.Example: I always love to travel to the central United States to see the beautiful scenery of the Midwest.