Center vs. Middle — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 26, 2023
Center refers to the exact point equidistant from all edges or extremities, while Middle denotes the point equidistant between the beginning and end.
Difference Between Center and Middle
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Center often implies a point that is equidistant from the boundaries or extremities of a shape or object. For example, in a circle, the center is the exact point that is the same distance from every point on the circumference. On the other hand, Middle connotes a position that's between the beginning and the end of something, like the middle of a road or the middle of a story.
In another context, Center can also signify a place where a particular activity or service is concentrated. For instance, a shopping center or a medical center. Middle doesn’t typically have this connotation. Instead, Middle might describe a position in a sequence, like being the middle child in a family.
Furthermore, the term Center can be employed to emphasize importance or focus. When someone is "at the center" of attention, they are the main focus. Middle doesn't share this implication. Instead, if someone is "in the middle," it might mean they are caught between two conflicting parties or situations.
In architectural terms, the center might refer to a focal point of a building or a plaza, the point around which other parts are organized. Middle, in this context, could describe the space that's equidistant from the front and back or the floor and ceiling of a building.
Comparison Chart
Definition
The exact point equidistant from boundaries
Point equidistant between the beginning and end
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Use in Sequences
Often not used in sequences
Commonly describes a position in a sequence
Connotation
Can imply importance or focus
Typically denotes a position, without added implications
Examples in Space
Center of a room or circle
Middle of a road or line
Associated Phrases
"Center of attention"
"Caught in the middle"
Compare with Definitions
Center
A place where a specific activity or service is located.
She visited the town's community center.
Middle
A position equidistant from the beginning and end.
He sat in the middle of the row.
Center
The focal point or main area of interest.
He was the center of everyone's attention at the event.
Middle
The point in time halfway between the start and finish.
The plot twist in the middle of the movie was unexpected.
Center
A point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle
The center of a stage.
Middle
A position between two extremes or sides.
She's the middle child in her family.
Center
A point equidistant from the vertices of a regular polygon.
Middle
Being in between; intermediate.
He chose a shirt of middle size.
Center
A point equidistant from all points on the circumference of a circle or on the surface of a sphere.
Middle
Equally distant from extremes or limits; central
The middle point on a line.
Center
A point around which something rotates or revolves
The sun is the center of our solar system.
Middle
Being at neither one extreme nor the other, as of a sequence or scale; intermediate
The middle decades of the century.
Center
A part of an object that is surrounded by the rest; a core
Chocolates with soft centers.
Middle
Of or relating to a division of geologic time between an earlier and a later division
The Middle Paleozoic.
Center
A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated
A medical center.
Middle
Of or relating to a stage in the development of a language or literature between earlier and later stages
Middle Swedish.
Center
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions
A center of power.
A center of unrest.
Middle
(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being a verb form or voice in which the subject both performs and is affected by the action specified.
Center
An area of dense population
A metropolitan center.
Middle
An area or a point equidistant between extremes; a center
The middle of a circle.
Center
A person or thing that is the chief object of attention, interest, activity, or emotion.
Middle
Something intermediate between extremes
The middle of the story.
Center
A person, object, or group occupying a middle position.
Middle
The middle part of the human body; the waist.
Center
Often Center A political group or a set of policies representing a moderate view between those of the right and the left.
Middle
(Logic) A middle term.
Center
(Physiology) A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function
The vasomotor center.
Middle
The middle voice.
Center
(Sports) A player who holds a middle position on the field, court, or forward line in some team sports, such as hockey and basketball.
Middle
A verb form in the middle voice.
Center
(Football) An offensive lineman who snaps the ball to begin a play, usually positioned in the middle of the line.
Middle
To place in the middle.
Center
(Baseball) Center field.
Middle
(Nautical) To fold in the middle
Middle the sail.
Center
A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.
Middle
A centre, midpoint.
The middle of a circle is the point which has the same distance to every point of circle.
Center
A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
Middle
The part between the beginning and the end.
I woke up in the middle of the night.
In the middle of the marathon, David collapsed from fatigue.
Center
A centering.
Middle
(cricket) The middle stump.
Center
A point in space equidistant from all the points on an arch or on a portion of an arch.
Middle
The central part of a human body; the waist.
Center
To place in or at the center
Centered the vase on the table.
Middle
(grammar) The middle voice.
Center
To direct toward a center or central point; concentrate or focus
Tried to center the discussion on the main issues.
Middle
Located in the middle; in between.
The middle point
Middle name, Middle English, Middle Ages
Center
To pass (a ball or puck) toward the center of a playing area.
Middle
Central.
Center
To play as a center on (a line), as in ice hockey.
Middle
(grammar) Pertaining to the middle voice.
Center
(Football) To hike (the ball) to begin a down.
Middle
(obsolete) To take a middle view of.
Center
To be concentrated; cluster
The epidemic centered in the urban areas.
Middle
To double (a rope) into two equal portions; to fold in the middle.
Center
To have a central theme or concern; be focused
Her novels center on the problems of adolescence.
Middle
Equally distant from the extreme either of a number of things or of one thing; mean; medial; as, the middle house in a row; a middle rank or station in life; flowers of middle summer; men of middle age.
Center
(Sports) To play as a center.
Middle
Intermediate; intervening.
Will, seeking good, finds many middle ends.
The middle-class electorate of Great Britain.
Center
The point in the interior of a circle that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
Middle
The point or part equally distant from the extremities or exterior limits, as of a line, a surface, or a solid; an intervening point or part in space, time, or order of series; the midst; central portion
In this, as in most questions of state, there is a middle.
Center
The point in the interior of a sphere that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
Middle
An area that is approximately central within some larger region;
It is in the center of town
They ran forward into the heart of the struggle
They were in the eye of the storm
Center
The middle portion of something; the part well away from the edges.
Middle
An intermediate part or section;
A whole is that which has beginning, middle, and end
We have given it at the end of the section since it involves the calculus
Start at the beginning and go on until you come to the end
Center
(obsolete) The innermost point of the Earth, or the Earth itself, as the center or foundation of the Universe; the center or foundation of the Universe abstractly.
Middle
The middle area of the human torso (usually in front);
Young American women believe that a bare midriff is fashionable
Center
(geometry) The point on a line that is midway between the ends.
Middle
Time between the beginning and the end of a temporal period;
The middle of the war
Rain during the middle of April
The end of the year
The ending of warranty period
Center
(geometry) The point in the interior of any figure of any number of dimensions that has as its coordinates the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of all points on the perimeter of the figure (or of all points in the interior for a center of volume).
Middle
Put in the middle
Center
The subgroup (respectively, subring), denoted Z(G), of those elements of a given group (respectively, ring) G that commute with every element of G.
Middle
Being neither at the beginning nor at the end in a series;
Adolescence is an awkward in-between age
In a mediate position
The middle point on a line
Center
A place, especially a building or complex, set aside for some specified function or activity.
Shopping center, convention center, civic center, garment center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Rockefeller Center
Middle
Equally distant from the extremes
Center
(politics) The ensemble of moderate or centrist political parties.
Middle
Of a stage in the development of a language or literature between earlier and later stages;
Middle English is the English language from about 1100 to 1500
Middle Gaelic
Late Greek
Center
The venue in which the head of government in a centralized state is situated.
Middle
Between an earlier and a later period of time;
In the middle years
In his middle thirties
Late evening
Late 18th century
A late movie
Took a late flight
Had a late breakfast
Center
A topic that is particularly important in a given context, the element in a subject of cognition, volition or discussion that is perceived as decisive.
The center of the controversy
The center of attention
Middle
The intervening time or space.
She woke up in the middle of the night.
Center
(sports) A player in the middle of a playing area.
Center
(basketball) The player, generally the tallest, who plays closest to the basket.
Center
(ice hockey) The forward that generally plays between the left wing and right wing and usually takes the faceoffs.
Center
The person who holds the ball at the beginning of each play.
Center
(netball) A player who can go all over the court, except the shooting circles.
Center
(soccer) A pass played into the centre of the pitch.
Center
(rugby) One of the backs operating in a central area of the pitch, either the inside centre or outside centre.
Center
A certain mechanical implement functioning in the middle of a whole apparatus
Center
(architecture) A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
Center
(engineering) One of the two conical steel pins in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
Center
(engineering) A conical recess or indentation in the end of a shaft or other work, to receive the point of a center, on which the work can turn, as in a lathe.
Center
The ring in the gambling game two-up in which the spinner operates.
Center
Of, at, or related to a center.
Center
(transitive) To cause (an object) to occupy the center of an area.
He centered the heading of the document.
Center
(transitive) To cause (some attribute, such as a mood or voltage) to be adjusted to a value which is midway between the extremes.
Center
(transitive) To give (something) a central basis.
Center
(intransitive) To concentrate on (something), to pay close attention to (something).
The plot centers on the life of a working-class family.
The discussion centered around the recent issues.
Center
(engineering) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
Center
A point equally distant from the extremities of a line, figure, or body, or from all parts of the circumference of a circle; the middle point or place.
Center
The middle or central portion of anything.
Center
A principal or important point of concentration; the nucleus around which things are gathered or to which they tend; an object of attention, action, or force; as, a center of attaction.
Center
The earth.
Center
Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who support the existing government. They sit in the middle of the legislative chamber, opposite the presiding officer, between the conservatives or monarchists, who sit on the right of the speaker, and the radicals or advanced republicans who occupy the seats on his left, See Right, and Left.
Center
A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
Center
One of the two conical steel pins, in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
Center
To be placed in a center; to be central.
Center
To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest on, or gather about, as a center.
Where there is no visible truth wherein to center, error is as wide as men's fancies.
Our hopes must center in ourselves alone.
Center
To place or fix in the center or on a central point.
Center
To collect to a point; to concentrate.
Thy joys are centered all in me alone.
Center
To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
Center
An area that is approximately central within some larger region;
It is in the center of town
They ran forward into the heart of the struggle
They were in the eye of the storm
Center
The piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher;
He hit the ball to deep center
Center
A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research
Center
A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
Center
The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience;
The gist of the prosecutor's argument
The heart and soul of the Republican Party
The nub of the story
Center
The object upon which interest and attention focuses;
His stories made him the center of the party
Center
A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere
Center
The middle of a military or naval formation;
They had to reinforce the center
Center
(basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team
Center
(football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback;
The center fumbled the handoff
Center
A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers
Center
Politically moderate persons; centrists
Center
(ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
Center
The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
Center
Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls
Center
The position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
Center
The position of the player on the line of scrimmage who puts the ball in play;
It is a center's responsibility to get the football to the quarterback
Center
A position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the center jump to start the game
Center
Center upon;
Her entire attention centered on her children
Our day revolved around our work
Center
Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies
Center
Move into the center;
That vase in the picture is not centered
Center
Equally distant from the extremes
Center
Of or belonging to the political or intellectual right
Center
The exact point equidistant from all boundaries.
The dot marks the center of the circle.
Center
A position of equal distance from sides or surfaces.
Place the table in the center of the room.
Center
A source or origin of a particular activity or function.
This city is the center of the country's film industry.
Common Curiosities
Does Center always refer to a physical point?
No, Center can also denote a main area of interest or activity.
Can Center refer to a place like a building?
Yes, such as a shopping center or community center.
Can Middle refer to an age or time?
Yes, like middle age or the middle of the night.
Is Middle always about position?
Largely, yes. Middle generally refers to a position between two points or extremes.
Which term indicates importance: Center or Middle?
Center can often indicate importance or focus.
What's another word for the middle part of something?
Median or midpoint.
Which term might refer to a focal point in design?
Center is typically used as a focal point in design.
Can both terms be used interchangeably?
In some contexts, yes, but they have nuanced differences.
What does it mean to be "in the middle of a situation"?
It often means being involved or caught between conflicting parties or events.
If a cake is baked in the middle, is it done?
Typically, yes. If a cake is baked through its middle, it's usually cooked thoroughly.
In a line of ten people, where's the middle?
The middle would be between the fifth and sixth person.
If something is central, is it in the center?
Not always. "Central" can mean vital or key but not necessarily in the exact center.
Is the middle always halfway?
Typically, yes. Middle generally denotes a point equidistant from both ends.
Can Center also mean "to balance"?
In some contexts, "center" can mean to balance or to focus one's attention.
Can a point be both in the center and middle?
Yes, in certain shapes or scenarios, the center and middle can coincide.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
