Midfielder

How to spell midfielder

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce midfielder

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does midfielder mean?

1. nounA player positioned in the central area of the pitch, between the defenders and the forwards, who links defence with attack.

Midfielder in a sentence

• The manager signed a creative midfielder to control the centre of the pitch.

• As a defensive midfielder, she broke up attacks before they reached the back line.

Where does midfielder come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a modern English compound built from three native Anglo-Saxon pieces. The first element, mid, comes from Old English midd, meaning 'middle' or 'central', and is the same root found in midnight and midday. The second element, field, comes from Old English feld, which originally described open, unforested land and later any marked area of play. The agent suffix -er, also of Old English origin, turns the phrase into a person who occupies a particular role. The term emerged in the twentieth century as association football tactics formalised the area between defence and attack, and the spelling simply stacks the everyday words mid and field, so the only thing to remember is that the d of mid sits directly against the f of field.

How the word is built

• mid- (middle)
• field (the playing area)
• -er (agent suffix: one who does)