Meaning & use
mid-table
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounsportBritish
Positioned in the middle part of a sports league table, neither near the top nor in danger of relegation.
Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: a mid-table team. It is not usually used after the verb 'be'.
Patterns
- a mid-table club
- a mid-table finish
- mid-table safety
After ten games the club is a solid mid-table side.
They are aiming for a mid-table finish rather than a title challenge.
A mid-table position would satisfy most of the fans this season.
adverbafter a verbsportBritish
In the middle part of a league table at the end of a season or period.
Grammar: Comes after verbs such as finish or sit: they finished mid table.
Patterns
- finish mid table
- sit mid table
The team finished mid table for the third year in a row.
They have been sitting mid table since October.
Common combinations
- mid-table club
- A mid-table club can still attract good players.
- mid-table finish
- The manager was happy with a mid-table finish.
- mid-table safety
- Two more wins would give them mid-table safety.
- finish mid table
- They finished mid table despite a poor start.
Synonyms and how they differ
- middle-of-the-table
- A longer, more descriptive phrase with the same meaning; it sounds less like a fixed sports term.
Opposites
Word family
- table noun
- The list of teams and their points in a league.
Commonly confused: mid-table or midfield?
mid-table vs midfield
Midfield is an area of the pitch or the players who play there; mid-table describes a position in the league standings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'mid-table' correctly?
Choose one answer.
As an adjective, mid-table goes before the noun with an article: a mid-table side. The other options put the words in the wrong order or leave out the article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mid-table”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.