between
Americanpreposition
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in the space separating (two points, objects, etc.).
between New York and Chicago.
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intermediate to, in time, quantity, or degree.
between twelve and one o'clock; between 50 and 60 apples;
between pink and red.
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linking; connecting.
air service between cities.
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in portions for each of (two people).
splitting the profits between them.
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among.
sharing the responsibilities between the five of us.
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by the dual or common action or participation of.
Between us, we can finish the job in a couple of hours.
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distinguishing one from the other.
He couldn't see the difference between good and bad.
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in comparing.
no preference between the two wines.
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by the combined effect of.
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existing confidentially for.
We'll keep this matter between the two of us.
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involving; concerning.
war between nations;
choice between things.
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being felt jointly or reciprocated by.
the love between them.
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by joint possession of.
Between them they own most of this company.
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Heraldry. in the midst of, so as to make a symmetrical composition.
a cross argent between four bezants.
noun
adverb
idioms
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in between,
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situated in an intermediary area or on a line or imaginary line connecting two points, things, etc.
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in the way.
I reached for the ball, but the dog got in between.
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between ourselves, confidentially; in trust. Also between you and me, between you, me, and the postlamppostgatepostetc.
preposition
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at a point or in a region intermediate to two other points in space, times, degrees, etc
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in combination; together
between them, they saved enough money to buy a car
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confined or restricted to
between you and me
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indicating a reciprocal relation or comparison
an argument between a man and his wife
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indicating two or more alternatives
a choice between going now and staying all night
adverb
Usage
Although not generally accepted as good usage, between you and I is heard occasionally in the speech of educated persons. By the traditional rules of grammar, when a pronoun is the object of a preposition, that pronoun should be in the objective case: between you and me; between her and them. The use of the nominative form ( I, he, she, they, etc.) arises partly as overcorrection, the reasoning being that if it is correct at the end of a sentence like It is I, it must also be correct at the end of the phrase between you and …. The choice of pronoun also owes something to the tendency for the final pronoun in a compound object to be in the nominative case after a verb: It was kind of you to invite my wife and I. This too is not generally regarded as good usage. The construction between each (or every ) is sometimes objected to on the grounds that between calls for a plural or compound object. However, the construction is old and fully standard when the sense indicates that more than one thing is meant: Spread softened butter between each layer of pastry. There were marigolds peeking between every row of vegetables. The construction between … to is a blend of between … and ( between 15 and 25 miles ) and from … to ( from 15 to 25 miles ). It occurs occasionally in informal speech but not in formal speech or writing.
After distribute and words with a similar meaning, among should be used rather than between : this enterprise issued shares which were distributed among its workers
Commonly Confused
Among expresses a relationship when more than two persons or things are involved: Distrust spread among even his strongest supporters. Between is used when only two persons or things are involved: between you and me; to decide between tea and coffee. Between also continues to be used, as it has been throughout its entire history, to express a relationship of persons or things considered individually, no matter how many: Tossing up coins between three people always takes a little working out. Between holding public office, teaching, and writing, she has little free time.
Other Word Forms
- betweenness noun
Etymology
Origin of between
First recorded before 900; Middle English betwene, Old English betwēonan, betwēonum, equivalent to be- be- + twēon- (cognate with Gothic tweihn(ai) “two each”) + -um, dative plural ending
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.
A cross between a prayer and a rave.
From BBC
Denton says many doctors "may choose to split their work between NHS and private practice, in order to have better control over their workload, wellbeing and work‑life balance".
From BBC
For many, the disparity between the haves and have-nots right there, on your phone, was too much to be ignored, in a country where youth unemployment stands at 20.6% and with three million working overseas.
From BBC
The first direct blow between the sides will be struck next month in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
From BBC
At times, the supreme leader has presented himself as almost above politics - looking down on the squabbling between Iran's reformists and conservatives.
From BBC
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.
