midterm

noun

mid·​term ˈmid-ˌtərm (usual for sense 1b) 

-ˈtərm

1

a

: the middle of an academic term

b

: an examination at midterm

2

: the approximate middle of a term of office

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 on the Web

Debt hawks have been warning policymakers for some time that the nation’s fiscal path is unsustainable, and the issue is increasingly rising up voters’ agendas in the run-up to midterms later this year. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Also in the new poll, Democrats' lead on the generic ballot for the 2026 midterms shrank. — Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

That partisan restraint will look smart when the political pendulum swings, whether at the midterms or in 2028. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Democrats and their allies have characterized the investigations as partisan efforts intended to weaken the party’s campaign finance infrastructure before the midterm elections. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for midterm

• affirm
• bookworm
• budworm
• confirm
• cutworm
• earthworm
• infirm
• ringworm
• tapeworm
• wireworm
• angiosperm
• echinoderm