middle-of-the-road

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle-of-the-road ˈmi-dᵊl-əv-ṯẖə-ˈrōd How to pronounce middle-of-the-road (audio)
: standing for or following a course of action midway between extremes
especially : being neither liberal nor conservative in politics
middle-of-the-roader noun
middle-of-the-roadism noun

middle of the road

2 of 2

noun phrase

: a course of action or a standpoint midway between extremes

Examples of middle-of-the-road in a Sentence

Adjective a candidate with middle-of-the-road views on most hot-button issues
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Janus eventually became a more diversified fund group with more middle-of-the-road performance. Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025 All sofas are made-to-order and highly customizable, with this one being a nice middle-of-the-road option that’s smaller than a sectional but larger than a love seat. Rachel Wallace, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun phrase
Rocha drove away from the scene, leaving Vasquez’s body lying in the middle of the road at Clay Street and East 21st Avenue, according to dash cam footage played in the courtroom. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025 Their secondary is middle of the road, but full of first- and second-year players. J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1894, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middle-of-the-road was in 1891

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middle-of-the-road.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle-of-the-road. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

middle-of-the-road

adjective
mid·​dle-of-the-road
ˌmid-ᵊl-əv-t͟hə-ˈrōd
: standing for or following a course of action midway between extremes
especially : being neither liberal nor conservative in politics
middle-of-the-roader
-ˈrōd-ər
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!