Middle means the center point or area between two ends or edges. When you sit in the middle of a row at the movies, you have people on both sides of you. The middle of a story comes after the beginning but before the ending. Your middle finger is the longest one, right between your index and ring fingers.

The word can describe position in space, time, or order. A middle school student is between elementary and high school. The Middle Ages in European history fell between ancient times and the Renaissance. If you're the middle child in your family, you have both older and younger siblings.

Sometimes middle suggests a moderate position, neither extreme. A middle ground is a compromise between two different opinions. Middle-of-the-road describes something ordinary or not taking risks.

The phrase in the middle of means you're currently doing something: “I'm in the middle of reading this chapter.” If you're caught in the middle of an argument between friends, you're uncomfortably positioned between both sides, trying not to take either person's side completely.