in medias res

adverb

in me·​di·​as res in-ˈme-dē-əs-ˈrās How to pronounce in medias res (audio) -ˈmē-dē-əs-ˈrēz How to pronounce in medias res (audio)
: in or into the middle of a narrative or plot

Examples of in medias res in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After an in medias res introduction with Cardellini’s Pamela starring at herself in the mirror, drenched in blood, the story goes back nine months and we’re introduced to a cleaner Pamela working the kitchen at Camp Crystal Lake in New Jersey. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 The Caribou Trail begins briefly, in medias res, at Beaumont Hamel in June 1916, ahead of the devastating Battle of the Somme. — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Calypso The Odyssey opens in medias res with the gods deliberating on Odysseus’s seven-year captivity by Calypso. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026 Novels pile up in a drawer; gizmos in medias res become nests of parts and wires. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in medias res

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, into the midst of things

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in medias res was in 1786

Browse Nearby Words

inmeats
in medias res
in medio tutissimus ibis
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Cite this Entry

“In medias res.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20medias%20res. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on in medias res

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about in medias res

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