Meaning & use
midwestern
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to the Midwest, the north-central region of the United States, or typical of its people, culture, or landscape.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun and is capitalized as Midwestern: a Midwestern town.
Patterns
- a Midwestern state
- Midwestern values
She grew up in a small Midwestern town surrounded by cornfields.
Midwestern winters can be long and very cold.
The restaurant serves classic Midwestern comfort food.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Describing the accent or manner often linked to people from the Midwest, such as friendly, polite, and understated.
Grammar: Often used about speech or manners: a Midwestern accent.
Patterns
- a Midwestern accent
- Midwestern politeness
His Midwestern politeness made him popular in the new office.
She has a mild Midwestern accent that her friends tease her about.
The host welcomed them with Midwestern hospitality.
Common combinations
- Midwestern state
- Ohio is a Midwestern state.
- Midwestern accent
- He lost his Midwestern accent after moving abroad.
- Midwestern values
- The candidate stressed her Midwestern values.
- Midwestern city
- Chicago is the largest Midwestern city.
- Midwestern farm
- They visited a Midwestern farm in the summer.
- Midwestern hospitality
- The couple was famous for their Midwestern hospitality.
Word family
- Midwest noun
- the north-central region of the United States
- Midwesterner noun
- a person from the Midwest
- mid-western adjective
- a variant spelling with a hyphen
- Middle West noun
- an older name for the Midwest
Commonly confused: midwestern or mid-Atlantic?
midwestern vs mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic refers to states on the eastern coast between New England and the South, not the central region.
Practice
Which state is typically called a Midwestern state?
Choose one answer.
Ohio is part of the Midwest region of the central United States. Texas, California, and Florida belong to other regions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “midwestern”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.