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

The backtracking illustrates how the politics of criminal justice have shifted since 2020, posing dilemmas for Democrats’ midterm strategy and their ability to enact their preferred solutions. — ABC News, 31 July 2026

There are few places where contradictions between the president’s boasts and the economic reality of his tariffs are more likely to collide ahead of November’s midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. — Jacqueline Ganun, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Anti-tax movement began after 2010 midterms Cooper, of EPI, traces the anti-tax movement to the 2010 elections, which saw 20 state legislative chambers flip from Democratic to Republican control in a backlash against then-President Barack Obama. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 30 July 2026

The Election Day locations could be cut nearly in half from 316 sites in the last midterm election to 176 this year. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 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