between

1 of 2

preposition

be·tween bi-ˈtwēn

bē-

Synonyms of between next

: by the common action of : jointly engaging

shared the work between the two of them

talks between the three—

Time

: in common to : shared by

divided between his four grandchildren

: in the time, space, or interval that separates

the alley between the butcher shop and the pharmacy

should arrive between 9 and 10 o'clock

: in intermediate relation to

weighs somewhere between a pound and a pound and a half

: from one to another of

air service between Miami and Chicago

: serving to connect or unite in a relationship (such as difference, likeness, or proportion)

a one-to-one correspondence between sets

mutual understanding between them

: setting apart

the line between fact and fancy

: in preference for one or the other of

had no difficulty deciding between the two

: in point of comparison of

little difference between the two cars

: in confidence restricted to

a secret between you and me

: taking together the combined effect of

between work and family life, they have no time for hobbies

Between vs. Among: Usage Guide

There is a persistent but unfounded notion that between can be used only of two items and that among must be used for more than two. Between has been used of more than two since Old English; it is especially appropriate to denote a one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items. It can be used when the number is unspecified

economic cooperation between nations

, when more than two are enumerated

between you and me and the lamppost

partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia —

Nathaniel Benchley

, and even when only one item is mentioned (but repetition is implied).

pausing between every sentence to rap the floor —

George Eliot

Among is more appropriate where the emphasis is on distribution rather than individual relationships.

discontent among the peasants

When among is automatically chosen for more than two, English idiom may be strained.

a worthy book that nevertheless falls among many stools —

John Simon

the author alternates among mod slang, clichés and quotes from literary giants —

A. H. Johnston

between

2 of 2

adverb

: in an intermediate space or interval

two beds with a nightstand between

Examples of between in a Sentence

Preposition The ball rolled between the desk and the wall. He stood between his mother and his father. The office has two desks with a table between them. They put up a fence between their house and their neighbor's house. There are fences between all the houses. If you want to lose weight, you shouldn't eat between meals. Between bites of food, they talked to their teacher. The two days between Monday and Thursday are Tuesday and Wednesday. We should arrive between 9 and 10 o'clock. Adverb The office has two desks with a table between. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

Listing agent Danny Brown of Compass reportedly told the WSJ the property was difficult to price, and HGTV reportedly debated listing the property between $3 million and $10 million. —

Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 Libya remains divided between two rival administrations, one in the east and one in the west, each backed by militias and foreign governments. —

Samy Magdy, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 Richards quickly found himself under fire for allegations of pregnancy discrimination related to an old lawsuit and offensive comments made on a podcast between 2013 and 2014. —

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2023 Divide the snapper between two dinner plates and spoon the sauce on top. —

cleveland, 11 Sep. 2023 In Week 1 against UMass, Freeze said the balance of calling plays between himself and Montgomery was easy. —

Matt Cohen | McOhen@al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2023 The city’s character is reflected in the Timbers and Thorns fanbase, one that between taking swigs of beer with heavily tattooed arms has become a force for change in its own right, and has always been willing to put pressure on the club to reflect its values. —

oregonlive, 11 Sep. 2023 The women were all enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative program between 1993 and 1998, from 40 different clinical centers across the U.S., and were followed up to 2020. —

Michelle Pugle, Health, 11 Sep. 2023 The youngster split time between an inflatable kiddie pool and an employee’s home bathtub. —

Dino Grandoni and Melina Mara, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Sep. 2023

Adverb

In managing our data, there is a push-pull between centralized and decentralized identity management. —

Lila Kee, Forbes, 4 May 2023 The highs and lows are dramatic and the transitions between are often instantaneous, making rich fodder for TikTok, where a growing number of lips are suddenly shrinking before our eyes. —

Jolene Edgar, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 June 2023 Covid-19 drugs are few and far between, and generics of these drugs won’t be available in China due to failed manufacturer negotiations. —

Cathy Tie, STAT, 2 Feb. 2023 Leaks are few and far between, and the president has behaved as a more traditional button-down politician, giving the media few easy targets. —

Sarah Ellison and Elahe Izadi, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Jan. 2023 On a night in which true surprises were few and far between on the film side of the ledger, two of the biggest upsets came from non-English-language films. —

Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2023 In the 1950s, galleries were few and far between in Chicago. —

Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023 Tizzies have been few and far between in Arlington lately. —

Dallas News, 9 Sep. 2022 Crosswalks remain few and far between, and direct walking routes sometimes send pedestrians through parking lots. —

Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'between.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Preposition and Adverb

Middle English betwene, preposition & adverb, from Old English betwēonum, from be- + -twēonum (dative plural) (akin to Goth tweihnai two each); akin to Old English twā two

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of between was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century