MIDDLE - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Noun
an intermediate part or section
Example: A whole is that which has beginning, middle, and end"- Aristotle
Categories: Part, Section, Division
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Adjective
of a stage in the development of a language or literature between earlier and later stages
Example: Middle English is the English language from about 1100 to 1500; Middle Gaelic
Meaning 3
Part of speech: Adjective
between an earlier and a later period of time
Example: in the middle years; in his middle thirties
Meaning 4
Part of speech: Verb
put in the middle
Categories: Put, Set, Place, Pose, Position, Lay
Synonyms
Halfway, Mediate, Midriff, Midsection, In-between
Antonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "middle" comes from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos. It started in Proto-Germanic *midjō. Then it appeared in Proto-Germanic *midlą. Later, people used it in Old English middel. After that, it was Middle English middel. Many other languages have similar words:.
- West Frisian: middel
- Dutch: middel
- German: mittel
- German: Mittel
- Danish: middel
- Swedish: medel
- Icelandic: meðal
🔗 Related Words
mid – A related word in the same word family.
🧩 Fun Fact
This word traveled through multiple civilizations—each culture shaped its meaning slightly!