midterm

noun mid·term \ ˈmid-ˌtərm (usual for sense 1b) , -ˈtərm \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of midterm

1 a : the middle of an academic term

b : an examination at midterm

2 : the approximate middle of a term of office

See midterm defined for English-language learners

Examples of midterm in a Sentence

The students will be busy taking midterms next week.
He dropped the course before midterm.
assessing the President's performance at midterm

Recent Examples of midterm from the Web

The stakes are high: An O'Rourke win could give Democrats a shot at winning control of the Senate in November's midterm elections.

— eric bradner, CNN, "Why Democrats everywhere are watching Beto O'Rourke's Senate campaign in Texas," 14 Apr. 2018
Instead, the local MFS organizers are devoting their resources to increasing voter turnout for the midterm elections.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "How the March For Science Became a Movement," 13 Apr. 2018
In this op-ed, New Mexico congressional candidate Deb Haaland explains why this for these midterm elections, Americans need a wave of representation for working-class people, people of color, and women.

— deb haaland, Teen Vogue, "Deb Haaland Could Be the First Native American Woman Elected to Congress," 13 Apr. 2018
Anchorman’’ character Ron Burgundy and encouraged people to register to vote ahead of the midterm elections.

— amy b wang, BostonGlobe.com, "Will Ferrell released from hospital after serious two-car crash, report says," 13 Apr. 2018
President Donald Trump is coming back to Houston in May to help Republicans raise money for November's pivotal midterm elections.

— jeremy wallace, Houston Chronicle, "Donald Trump returning to Houston in May," 12 Apr. 2018
Republicans in the state appear to be distancing themselves from the governor for fear that the scandal could taint them during the midterm elections in November.

— natasha bach, Fortune, "A Nude Photo, Abuse Allegations, and Calls for Impeachment: What to Know About the Scandal Engulfing Missouri Governor Eric Greitens," 12 Apr. 2018
President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace over the Watergate scandal, and his successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him two months before the midterm elections.

— david holahan, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Class of '74' chronicles a young, liberal, and impatient House of Representatives," 12 Apr. 2018
Despite their exposure, however, these operations are ongoing—likely so that foreign actors can use them to spread divisive or fabricated news and other political content, especially in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections.

— natasha bertrand, The Atlantic, "The Fake Facebook Pages Targeting Vietnam Veterans," 12 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of midterm

15th century

MIDTERM Defined for English Language Learners

midterm

noun

Definition of midterm for English Language Learners

: an examination given at the middle of a school term
: the middle of a school term
: the middle of a term of office

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