Meanings
plural middle ways · alternative Middle Way
- The middle of three paths.
- An intermediate course (of action, policy etc) between two extremes; a compromise.
Obama's choice, according to McChrystal, a former special forces commander, boils down to this: Escalate or evacuate, get on or get out; there is no middle way that does not invite calamity on a grand scale.
2009, Simon Tisdall, The Guardian, 21 Sep 09Synonyms: mean
- BuddhismThe teaching of the Buddha of neither living in great excess nor in great asceticism.
- The midpoint of a person's life; middle age.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn intermediate course (of action, policy etc) between two extremes; a compromise.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 中間路線 /中间路线, 中庸之道
- 中間路線 /中间路线 (zhōngjiān lùxiàn)middle of three paths
- 中庸之道 (zhōngyōng zhī dào)intermediate course of action
- 人生中點 /人生中点 (rénshēng zhōngdiǎn)midpoint of a person's life
Finnish keskitie, keskimmäinen tie
- keskitiemiddle of three paths
- keskimmäinen tiemiddle of three paths
- keskitieintermediate course of action
- keski-ikämidpoint of a person's life
Indonesian jalan tengah
- jalan tengahintermediate course of action
Cite this entry
middle way. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/middle%20way
“middle way.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/middle%20way. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “middle way,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/middle%20way.
Source: middle way on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.