middle

Middle refers to a position or state that is between two ends or extremes. It can describe a physical interior point, a point along a line equidistant from its endpoints, or a stage in a sequence or process. In everyday language, “in the middle” signals proximity to the center rather than the edges. The term also appears in phrases such as middle ground or middle age to designate an intermediate status.

In geometry and mathematics, the concept appears in several precise senses. The midpoint of a line segment is the point that divides it into two equal parts. The middle of a circle is its center. In statistics, the middle value of an ordered data set is the median, which separates the data into two halves. These uses share the idea of centrality or balance.

In culture and society, middle is used to describe intermediary categories or positions. Examples include middle class, middle school, and middle name, all indicating a position between more and less affluent, older and younger, or given-name and family-name conventions. The expression the Middle is also used in historical and regional contexts, such as the Middle Ages or the Middle East, though these terms refer to broader geographic or temporal ranges rather than simple spatial interiority.

Etymology generally traces middle to Old English middel, with cognates in related Germanic languages, reflecting its long-standing role in describing central position and intermediate status. See also center, midpoint, median, and halfway.