Distinguishing Between Among & Amid

Key Difference – Among vs Amid

Among and amid are two prepositions that share a similar meaning. The difference between among and amid lies in their usage. Among is usually used with plural, countable nouns whereas amid is used with uncountable, mass nouns. This is the key difference between among and amid.

What Does Among Mean?

Among can have different meanings in a sentence. Some of these meanings include:

– In or through the midst of:

The cottage was hidden among the trees.

The ball was hidden among the leaves.

– In company or association with:

He was a sheep among wolfs.

Don’t worry, you are among friends.

She lived many years among yogis.

If you observe the above example sentences carefully, you’ll note that among is always followed by countable, plural nouns. This is the special feature of among – it is always followed by countable, plural nouns.

Among has the same meaning as amongst. However, many writers prefer to use among out of the two since amongst sounds bit old-fashioned.

There was one black sheep among the white sheep.

What Does Amid Mean?

Amid also has a similar meaning to among. Amid means ‘surrounded by’ or ‘in the middle of’. Amidst also has the same meaning as amid although it is not as widely used. Given below are some sentences written using amid:

The thief managed to escape amid the chaos.

There was a black pigeon amid a flock of white pigeons.

The castle was amid the magnificent countryside.

Her doubts about adjusting to a new culture vanished amid the excitement of the wedding.

She has written a story of love and hope amid the escalating ethnic tensions.

If you observe the above sentences carefully, you’ll note that amid is often followed by uncountable, mass nouns. This is the main difference between among and amid.

The cottage was set amid the magnificent, rolling countryside.

What is the difference between Among and Amid?

Definition:

Among means surrounded by, in the company of, occupying in or shared by, etc.

Amid specifically means surrounded by or against the background of.

Nouns:

Among is followed by countable, plural nouns.

Amid is often followed by mass, uncountable nouns.

Usage:

Among is more commonly used than amid.

Amid is not as much used as among.

Amongst vs Amidst:

Among has the same meaning as amongst.

Amid has the same meaning as amidst.

 Image Courtesy: Pixabay

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Key Takeaways

• Among is usually used with plural, countable nouns while amid is used with uncountable, mass nouns.
• Among can mean “in the midst of” or “in company or association with”, whereas amid means “surrounded by” or “in the middle of”.
• Among is more commonly used than amid, and among has the same meaning as amongst, while amid has the same meaning as amidst.