midfield

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

Updated on: 17 Apr 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 Eagles seamlessly worked the ball through midfield, finding senior Jack Sweeney in the attacking end.

— glenn graham, baltimoresun.com, "No. 4 McDonogh boys lacrosse closes out banner week with dramatic 8-7 win at No. 2 Boys' Latin," 14 Apr. 2018
Abbott is a four-year starter in the midfield and Hopkinton’s most dynamic two-way player.

— nate weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "Hopkinton’s dynamic duo continue their lacrosse ride," 13 Apr. 2018
Makayla Baxter was playing back, Audrey Addison was in the midfield and Chance at forward.

— robert avery, Houston Chronicle, "Lady Deer capture Area soccer crown with 1-0 win," 3 Apr. 2018
The German legend has been key to Chicago's central midfield since joining the club last season.

— jamie goldberg, OregonLive.com, "Portland Timbers travel to face Chicago Fire: Players to watch, TV channel," 30 Mar. 2018
From there, the midfield and forwards could offer a little more fluidity within the lineup.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "FC Cincinnati keeping options open regarding starting lineup ahead of Indy Eleven," 27 Mar. 2018
The 26-year-old Frenchman has been a key figure in Antonio Conte’s midfield, helping the club to the Premier League title last summer.

— tom roddy, Newsweek, "Premier League Transfer News: Manchester United Concerns Over Superstar, Tottenham To Lose Key Player," 21 Mar. 2018
The Vikings have seniors in the starting midfield — Erin Demek and Kaitlin Rice — and along the backline with Annie Ryan and Julia Leishear.

— kyle stackpole, Howard County Times, "Glenelg, Glenelg Country and Marriotts Ridge headline girls lacrosse county landscape," 20 Mar. 2018
While Ireland mastered the balance of youth and experience, England struggled to find the right combination of players in the right areas, notably in the back-row and the midfield.

— george ramsay, CNN, "Six Nations: 'Greedy' Ireland will want more after Grand Slam," 19 Mar. 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

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