Etymologically
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midterm

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 23:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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