word
Literary
in medias res
in MEE-dee-us RAYZ
ɪn ˈmiːdiəs rɛzListen
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Syllable breakdown
inmediasres
Sounds like
Say 'in MEE-dee-us RAYZ'.
Dictionary meaning
Starting a narrative in the middle of the action, rather than the beginning.
History and origin
Latin — 'into the middle of things' — from Horace's Ars Poetica.
Examples
- The novel begins in medias res, with the protagonist already mid-flight from the authorities.
Common mispronunciations
in meh-DEE-as REZin MEE-dee-az REES
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