amid

¹

[ uh-mid ]

preposition

1. in the middle of; surrounded by; among:

   to stand weeping amid the ruins.

2. during; in or throughout the course of.

amid-

²

1. variant of amido- before a vowel:

   amidase.

amid

/ əˈmɪd /

preposition

1. in the middle of; among

Word History and Origins

Origin of amid¹

before 1000; Middle English amidde, Old English amiddan, for on middan “in (the) middle.” See a- ¹, mid ¹

Origin of amid²

First recorded in 1870–75

Word History and Origins

Origin of amid¹

Old English on middan in the middle; see mid ¹

Example Sentences

Even those Christians who do want to minister amid the rancor of race and policing are missing the mark.

From The Daily Beast

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione asked residents to remain calm, amid fears of unrest.

From The Daily Beast

His deficiencies and self-doubts, amid his epochal mission of liberation, are precisely what make him interesting.

From The Daily Beast

It may be that some hagiographer yet to come will find the stained sheets of fact and memory amid his papers.

From The Daily Beast

A white police officer standing amid the crowd inside the barricade got his laughs a moment later.

From The Daily Beast

The night passed amid various excursions on the part of Aristide and alarms on the part of Jean.

From Project Gutenberg

In the aperture of the window, amid piles of paper, stood a rickety old table, covered with dust.

From Project Gutenberg

His steps led him now not to the beach, but to the Cemetery of Rocklington, amid the potato-fields.

From Project Gutenberg

Dressed in full uniform, amid cries of "Long live our King Joachim," the unfortunate man landed with twenty-six followers.

From Project Gutenberg

There, amid the deep silence of the listening centuries, he would find peace; forgetting himself a moment, he might find—strength.

From Project Gutenberg

Amid Vs. Amidst

What’s the difference between amid and amidst?

Amid and amidst mean the same thing: in the middle of or during.

This can apply to spaces (as in I found my keys amid/amidst all of my other stuff) or situations (as in It was hard to concentrate amid/amidst all the chaos).

Amid is the older and original form of the word. The -st ending (which is the same one found in other words like whilst and against) does not change the meaning.  The same thing applies to among and amongst (which can mean the same thing as amid and amidst).

Contrary to popular misconceptions, amidst is not the British English version of amid. Although amid and amidst are completely interchangeable, amid is more commonly used.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between amid and amidst, including how amidst got that -st.

Quiz yourself on amid vs. amidst!

True or False? 

Amidst should only be used in very formal contexts.