Skip to main content
Midwestern United States

Midwestern United States

1 2.7
A north-central part of the United States known for farms and rivers
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪdˌwɛstərn juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts/
  • US
translation icon : Medio Oeste de Estados Unidos
  • Many farmers in the Midwestern United States rely on corn and soybean crops for their livelihoods.
  • university in the Midwestern United States
  • city in the Midwestern United States
  • Midwestern United States high schools

Examples

  • Participants in this study consisted of 266 male and 393 female students at a large public university in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2008)
  • This exploratory research was conducted in a medium-sized town in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2011)
  • This study took place in a large urban district located in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The study was conducted in an urban alternative school in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The participants attended a small, private liberal arts college located in a large city in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Participants were students attending a suburban high school in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2001)
  • All of the participants were drawn from 12 elementary schools in a large urban district in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The high school was located in a small city with a population of approximately 5,000 residents in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2015)
  • First, the sample was drawn from a single school district in a midsized city in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The participants attended a small, private, nonselective liberal arts college located in a large city in the Midwestern United States.

    Academic text (2014)

Synonyms

Midwest
vsMidwestern United States
  • US
190 2.7

A north central part of the United States with many farms and small towns

is the fuller regional name rather than the short label
heartland
vsMidwestern United States
44 4.5

A central part of a country that is the core of its culture and economy

refers specifically to the north-central US region rather than any country
Middle West
vsMidwestern United States
  • US
1 3.2

A region in the north-central United States that includes states like Ohio and Illinois

is the same region term but without a specific state list

Surface Forms

Morphology

midwestern + united + state

This is a fully compositional place name: 'Midwestern' specifies the Midwest region and combines with the proper noun 'United States' to denote the north-central region of the country. A B1 learner who knows 'midwestern/midwest', 'united', and 'state(s)' can readily infer this meaning; although it is a conventional regional label, its constituents transparently convey the intended referent.

Etymology

Midwestern United States gets its name from a simple map image: it lies to the west of the old East Coast states but in the mid (middle) part of the country. That's why the name now means the north-central region often called the 'heartland' or 'breadbasket' of America.