Dictionary Definition
midterm
Noun
1 the middle of the gestation period
2 middle of an academic term or a political term
in office
3 an examination administered in the middle of an
academic term [syn: midterm
examination, midterm
exam]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
(US) IPA: /ˈmɪdˌtərm/Adjective
midterm- relating to something that happens halfway through a term
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- The administration is suffering from the usual midterm drop in approval ratings.
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Derived terms
Noun
- a midterm exam
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- I only got a C on the midterm, so I really have to study for the final.
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Extensive Definition
Midterm elections are
elections in the United States in which members of Congress,
state legislatures, and some state governors are elected, but not
the
president.
On the Tuesday following the first Monday in
November of every even-numbered year, elections are held for all
435 members of the
United States House of Representatives and 33 or 34 of the 100
members of the United
States Senate. However, Presidential
elections occur only every four years. Those elections for
Congress that do not coincide with Presidential races are called
midterm elections, because they occur about midway through a
Presidential term. They occur in years that leave a remainder of
two when divided by four.
Thirty-four of the 50 U.S. states
elect their governors to four-year terms during midterm elections,
while Vermont and
New
Hampshire elect governors to two-year terms in midterm and
presidential elections. Thus, 36 governors are elected during
midterm elections. States also elect officers to their state
legislatures and county offices every two years, occurring with
both mid-terms and presidential years.
The next midterm elections for the
House,
Senate, and
governorships are scheduled for November 2,
2010.
Recent Midterm elections
Midterm elections usually don't turn out well for
the party of the president; over the past 17 midterm elections, the
president's party has lost an average 28 seats in the House, and an
average 4 seats in the Senate.
midterm in German: Halbzeitwahlen in den
Vereinigten Staaten
midterm in Persian: انتخابات میاندورهای در
ایالات متحده آمریکا
midterm in Indonesian: Pemilu paruh waktu
midterm in Italian: Elezioni di metà mandato
negli Stati Uniti
midterm in Japanese: 中間選挙