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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.


Midwest

/ ˈɪˈɛ /

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
“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
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Other Word Forms

  • Ѿ·ɱ·· noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Midwest1

First recorded in 1890–95; mid- + west
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In high school and college, I was aware that there was this greater format to see the films, but being from the Midwest, I didn’t really have the means.

From

In addition to California, they include a Mid-Atlantic hub, a Pacific Northwest hub and Midwest hub, all of which span primarily “blue” states that tend to vote for Democrats.

From

Baked spaghetti was a fixture of my childhood, quietly omnipresent across the Midwest and South — never flashy, never fancy, just always there.

From

O’Connell said it is more likely that if China targets agricultural exports, it might focus on soybeans grown in the Midwest for maximum political effect, rather than California products.

From

Furthermore, the Midwest broadly has a history of engineering new music to dance to, as queer Black men in Detroit are often uncredited as the progenitors of techno as we understand it today.

From

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More About Midwest

doesMidwest 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 Ѿɱ’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.

Where doesMidwest come from?

The first records of the term Midwest referring to the northern central area of the United States come from around the 1890s. Themid- in Midwest means “middle.” Although the Midwestern states are really in the northern central area of the country, the word west indicates their position in relation to the East Coast (the location of the original 13 U.S. colonies).

The term Midwest is often used in American media that focuses on geographic areas or that analyzes demographics. Especially during an election season, political analysts speculate and observe how the states in the Midwest are going to vote.

Many parts of the Midwest are rural, but it also has many urban and suburban areas. The region is especially known for having rich farmland.

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to Midwest?

are some synonyms for Midwest?

are some words that share a root or word element with Midwest?

are some words that often get used in discussing Midwest?

How isMidwestused in real life?

Americans use the term Midwest to refer to the north-central region of the country and the states located there. People often debate which states are located in the Midwest.

Try usingMidwest!

True or False?

The Midwest stretches from the border of Canada to the north to the border of Mexico to the south.

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