# middle way

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The middle of three paths.
2. An intermediate course (of action, policy etc) between two extremes; a compromise.
3. The teaching of the Buddha of neither living in great excess nor in great asceticism.
4. The midpoint of a person's life; middle age.

## Etymology
From middle + way. Compare Dutch middelweg, German Mittelweg; compare also Latin via media.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/middle-way