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midterm

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Etymology and origin of the English word midterm

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 1485 G. Hay, Buke of Law of Armys
Ultimate origins
Old English middOld French terme
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English mid
English midterm
From the same root
English midtown ← mid

Pronunciation

  • US: /ˈmɪdˌtɚm/[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from English mid + term,[2][3][4] also spelled with a hyphen.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The middle of a term of service or office: about 1485, in G. Hay's “Buke of Law of Armys”.[2] Merriam-Webster also dates the word to the 15th century,[5] while Dictionary.com gives 1865–70.[4]

Semantic evolution

The word has been used of the middle of any term.[3][2] It was applied to pregnancy by 1879 and to college semesters by 1888,[3] and a midterm examination is recorded by 1900, shortened in student slang to midterms by 1903.[3] By 1891 it was used of the American congressional elections held halfway through a four-year presidential term.[3][5] As a noun for a midterm examination or election it is American, from 1933.[2] The adjective, originally American, is recorded from 1889, and the sense "the medium term" from 1989.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1485 – the middle of a term of service or office.[2]
  • 1879 – of the middle of a pregnancy.[3]
  • 1888 – of college terms.[3]
  • 1889 – adjective, occurring in the middle of a term.[2]
  • 1891 – of congressional elections in the United States.[3]
  • 1900 – midterm examination.[3]
  • 1903 – midterms, in student slang.[3]
  • 1933 – noun, a midterm examination or election (US).[2]
  • 1989 – the medium term (rare).[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The middle of a term, such as an academic term, a term of office or a pregnancy.[6][5][2]
  2. (US) An examination held in the middle of an academic term: He crammed all weekend for his chemistry midterm.[5][2]
  3. (US) An election held midway through a president's four-year term, when members of Congress and many local officials are chosen.[5][6][2]

Adjective

  1. Occurring in the middle of a term: midterm elections.[6][2][5]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Midterm.” Etymologically, 31 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/midterm. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·