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amidst. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
amidst, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
amidst in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
amidst you have here. The definition of the word
amidst will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
amidst, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From amids + -t (excrescent), from amid + -s (genitive). By surface analysis, amid + -st (excrescent). Root amid from Middle English amidde, amiddes, on midden, from Old English on middan (“in the middle”), from midd (“central”) (English mid).
Pronunciation
Preposition
amidst
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.
- Synonyms: amid, among, amongst
1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 5, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, 1914 June, →OCLC:Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.
Usage notes
As with other words with excrescent suffix -st, amidst is generally considered synonymous with simpler amid, and amid is preferred by style guides on both sides of the Atlantic.
Further, amidst/amid are similar in meaning to – but distinct from – amongst/among. Amid(st) denotes that something is "in the midst of", "surrounded by" other things, and is used when the idea of separate things is not prominent. Among(st) denotes that something is mingling with other separable things ("blessed art thou among women").
Some speakers feel it is an obsolete form of amid. Amidst is more common in British English than American English, though it is used to some degree in both.
Translations
in the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among
References
Anagrams