amid
1 Americanpreposition
-
in the middle of; surrounded by; among.
to stand weeping amid the ruins.
-
during; in or throughout the course of.
preposition
Usage
What’s the difference between amid and amidst? Amid and amidst mean the same thing: in the middle of or during.This can apply to spaces (as in I found my keys amid/amidst all of my other stuff) or situations (as in It was hard to concentrate amid/amidst all the chaos).Amid is the older and original form of the word. The -st ending (which is the same one found in other words like whilst and against) does not change the meaning. The same thing applies to among and amongst (which can mean the same thing as amid and amidst).Contrary to popular misconceptions, amidst is not the British English version of amid. Although amid and amidst are completely interchangeable, amid is more commonly used.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between amid and amidst, including how amidst got that -st.
Etymology
Origin of amid1
before 1000; Middle English amidde, Old English amiddan, for on middan “in (the) middle.” See a- 1, mid 1
Origin of amid-2
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
“Most of the people you meet inside the building won’t survive the fire, which means you have very little chance of accidentally changing history. The other missions require quite a bit more tact, finesse, and time. Besides, Regan is one of the best natural Butterfly spotters I’ve ever seen, so finding Agent Chris amid the chaos will hopefully be easiest for her. Now, follow me, please.”
From Literature
Still, Mpoyi’s swift emergence came amid a rather inauspicious beginning to his journey.
From Los Angeles Times
At Morgan Stanley, analyst Devin McDermott said: “We recommend sticking with what’s working — remain defensive with a quality bias amid this period of heightened volatility,” and continuing to favor larger names such as Chevron and Exxon.
From MarketWatch
Crude oil futures spiked 5.6% in recent trading, amid fears that the Iran conflict will lead to supply disruptions.
From MarketWatch
PARIS—France will increase its stockpile of nuclear warheads and may, for the first time, temporarily deploy them on allies’ territory, effectively broadening the country’s nuclear deterrence amid mounting doubts about the U.S. security commitment to Europe.
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.
