"the mid 1980s" vs "the mid-1980s"

Question

"the mid 1980s" vs "the mid-1980s"

Both "the mid-1980s" and "the mid 1980s" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. The first one, with a hyphen, is the more common and formal way to write it. The second one, without a hyphen, is also acceptable in informal contexts.

Last Updated: March 21, 2024

This phrase is acceptable in informal contexts when referring to the middle of the 1980s. It is more commonly used in spoken English.

Examples:

I remember the music from the mid 1980s.
They were popular in the mid 1980s.
The mid 1980s were a time of great change.
In the mid 1980s, many new technologies emerged.
Let's take a trip back to the mid 1980s.

Alternatives:

the mid-eighties
the middle of the 1980s

This phrase is the more formal and common way to refer to the middle of the 1980s. It is used in both spoken and written English.

Examples:

The economy was booming in the mid-1980s.
She was born in the mid-1980s.
The fashion trends of the mid-1980s are making a comeback.
Many iconic movies were released in the mid-1980s.
The mid-1980s marked a significant shift in technology.

Alternatives:

the mid-80s
the mid-eighties

Answer 1

the mid 1980s

This phrase is correct but less common in formal writing.

Answer 2

the mid-1980s

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"the mid 1980s" vs "the mid-1980s"

the mid 1980s

the mid-1980s

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