midfield

noun mid·field \ ˈmid-ˌfēld , ˌmid-ˈ \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of midfield

1 : the middle portion of a field; especially : the portion of a playing field (as in football) that is midway between goals

2 : the players on a team (as in lacrosse or soccer) that normally play in the midfield

See midfield defined for English-language learners

Examples of midfield in a Sentence

The team captains shook hands at midfield.
The ball went out of bounds near midfield.
They have a talented midfield this year.

Recent Examples of midfield from the Web

The team that collects three balls takes possession at midfield.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Here's a few more changes the SEC needs to push," 5 June 2018
Guzman now has 42 caps for Costa Rica and could start at defensive midfield for his county in Russia.

— jamie goldberg, OregonLive.com, "David Guzman's childhood dream comes to fruition with spot on Costa Rica's World Cup roster," 22 May 2018
Brad Ring, who recently made his 100th appearance for the club, received a warm welcome from Eleven supporters before the match in the form of a tifo display and pre-kickoff ceremony at midfield honoring the milestone.

— kevin johnston, Indianapolis Star, "Indy Eleven offense shows signs of life, but can't muster enough in loss to Bethlehem Steel FC," 19 May 2018
But she was forced to wait at midfield to check into the play.

— ryan hathaway, BostonGlobe.com, "No. 2 Notre Dame girls’ lacrosse holds off No. 6 Norwell," 1 May 2018
Another play to remember came in the 13th minute: As the Union built out of the back, Dockal took the ball at midfield, ran forward, and fed C.J. Sapong.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "Borek Dockal shows what he can do for the Union, especially if his teammates help," 30 Apr. 2018
Senior captains Marina DiPiazza in midfield and Maura Shiring in goal are two players that anchor the Tomahawks’ defense and could make or break the team’s postseason aspirations.

— joe burns, courant.com, "High School Lacrosse: State Tournament Storylines," 25 May 2018
With its prowess to command the midfield, Eriksen looks in great form heading to Russia, which makes anything possible to the Danish.

— josé luis sánchez pando, chicagotribune.com, "2018 World Cup Group C preview: the French are the clear favorites," 24 May 2018
Meanwhile, whilst Liverpool's starting lineup is unlikely to come as a surprise to Real, the Reds have been boosted by the return of Emre Can to their 24-man squad after seeing their midfield options dwindle in recent weeks.

— SI.com, "Real Madrid Announce 24-Man Squad for Champions League Final in Kiev," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'midfield.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of midfield

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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MIDFIELD Defined for English Language Learners

midfield

noun

Definition of midfield for English Language Learners

: the area of a playing field in sports like American football and soccer that is in the middle between the two goals
: the players on a soccer team who normally play in the midfield