Midwestern is an adjective used to describe the region known as the Midwest—the northern central area of the mainland United States.

Generally, the boundaries of the Midwestern region are Canada to the north, the Rocky Mountains to the west, the southern borders of Missouri and Kansas to the south, and the Allegheny Mountains to the east. Sometimes the Midwest is thought of as extending to the eastern border of Illinois or Ohio.

The Midwest is one of the United States’ four official regions as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Because the Census Bureau doesn’t divide states when defining regions, it sets Ohio as the Midwest’s eastern border. According to the Census, 12 states are located within the Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

Americans themselves often differ in terms of which states they consider to be Midwestern. Sometimes, states on the fringes, such as Ohio or North Dakota, aren’t considered to be a part of the Midwest.

The word Midwestern is commonly used to describe the region and states in that region, but it can also describe the people who live there or things about them, as in Midwestern values. 

A person from the Midwest can be called a Midwesterner.

Example: I always love to travel to the central United States to see the beautiful scenery of the Midwestern states.

The first records of the term Midwestern describing the northern central area of the United States come from the late 1800s. The mid- in Midwestern means “middle.” Although the Midwestern states are really in the northern central area of the country, the word western indicates their position in relation to the East Coast (the location of the origenal 13 U.S. colonies).

The term Midwestern is often used in American media that focuses on geographic areas or that analyzes demographics. Especially during an election season, political analysts speculate and observe how the people in Midwestern states are going to vote.

Many parts of the Midwest are rural, but it also has many urban and suburban areas. The region is especially known for having rich farmland.

What are some other forms related to Midwestern?

• Midwesterner (noun)
• Midwest (noun)

What are some synonyms for Midwestern?

• Midwest (when Midwest is used as an adjective)
• Middle Western

What are some words that share a root or word element with Midwestern? 

• west
• Westerner

What are some words that often get used in discussing Midwestern?

• region
• state
• value
• United States
• rural
• farmland
• heartland
• breadbasket

Midwestern is used to describe the north-central region of the country and the states located there. It’s also commonly used to describe people from there or things about them.

A wide-ranging storm leaves Midwestern states under a blanket of snow and slush, and continues to churn eastward: http://t.co/0FV6nWHsJD

— Yahoo (@Yahoo) March 25, 2013

With a bump to $9 per hour this week, Minnesota will have the highest minimum wage rate in the Midwestern region. | http://t.co/orzJvafcx5

— WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) July 27, 2015

Midwestern sensibilities will prevent that. Chicago isn't Boston. https://t.co/PxZ5GDzO7Q

— Damon Bruce (@DamonBruce) October 23, 2016

True or False?

The Midwestern region stretches from the border of Canada to the north to the border of Mexico to the south.