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Midwestern

[ mid-wes-tern ]

adjective

  1. of or relating to the Midwest.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of Midwestern1

An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10
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Example Sentences

The onions were directly distributed in many western and midwestern states, including Colorado, Iowa, and Kansas.

From BBC

Trump’s national economic messaging hit home with working-class voters in the Midwestern state of Michigan, too.

From BBC

A vegan who smokes medicinal herbs and has no time for Midwestern niceties, Robyn has had many lives.

Critics praised Vance’s “softer,” “Midwestern” touch.

From Salon

He’ll empower right-wing allies by placing figures like Kevin Roberts and Russ Vought in influential Cabinet roles, elevating extremist views under the guise of “Midwestern values.”

From Salon

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More About Midwestern

What does Midwestern mean?

Midwestern is an adjective used to describe the region known as the Midwest—the northern central area of the mainland United States.

Generally, the boundaries of the Midwestern region are Canada to the north, the Rocky Mountains to the west, the southern borders of Missouri and Kansas to the south, and the Allegheny Mountains to the east. Sometimes the Midwest is thought of as extending to the eastern border of Illinois or Ohio.

The Midwest is one of the United States’ four official regions as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Because the Census Bureau doesn’t divide states when defining regions, it sets Ohio as the Midwest’s eastern border. According to the Census, 12 states are located within the Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

Americans themselves often differ in terms of which states they consider to be Midwestern. Sometimes, states on the fringes, such as Ohio or North Dakota, aren’t considered to be a part of the Midwest.

The word Midwestern is commonly used to describe the region and states in that region, but it can also describe the people who live there or things about them, as in Midwestern values. 

A person from the Midwest can be called a Midwesterner.

Example: I always love to travel to the central United States to see the beautiful scenery of the Midwestern states.

Where does Midwestern come from?

The first records of the term Midwestern describing the northern central area of the United States come from the late 1800s. The mid- in Midwestern means “middle.” Although the Midwestern states are really in the northern central area of the country, the word western indicates their position in relation to the East Coast (the location of the original 13 U.S. colonies).

The term Midwestern is often used in American media that focuses on geographic areas or that analyzes demographics. Especially during an election season, political analysts speculate and observe how the people in Midwestern states are going to vote.

Many parts of the Midwest are rural, but it also has many urban and suburban areas. The region is especially known for having rich farmland.

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What are some other forms related to Midwestern?

What are some synonyms for Midwestern?

What are some words that share a root or word element with Midwestern

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing Midwestern?

 

How is Midwestern used in real life?

Midwestern is used to describe the north-central region of the country and the states located there. It’s also commonly used to describe people from there or things about them.

 

 

Try using Midwestern!

True or False?

The Midwestern region stretches from the border of Canada to the north to the border of Mexico to the south.

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