middle way en · NOUN
Etymology
From middle + way. Compare Dutch middelweg, German Mittelweg; compare also Latin via media.
Meanings
- 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 09:
- The teaching of the Buddha of neither living in great excess nor in great asceticism.
- The midpoint of a person's life; middle age.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| middle ways | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Middle Way | alternative | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (9)
id jalan tengah (intermediate course of action) · cmn 中間路線 /中间路线 (middle of three paths) · fi keskitie (middle of three paths) · fi keskimmäinen tie (middle of three paths) · fi keski-ikä (midpoint of a person's life) · fi keskitie (intermediate course of action) · cmn 中庸之道 (intermediate course of action) · cmn 人生中點 /人生中点 (midpoint of a person's life) · my မဇ္ဇိမပဋိပဒါ (middle of three paths)