around the midnight

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "around the midnight" is not correct in standard English; it should be "around midnight." You can use it to refer to the time close to midnight, typically in informal contexts.
Example: "We plan to meet around midnight to celebrate the New Year."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Nightclub workers said fireworks had been set off around the midnight countdown, but the cause of the fire had not been confirmed, said Lt. Sutin Pongkhamphan, the police officer in charge of the case.

The New York Times

The delay times tended to be larger around the midnight sector than around the dawn and dusk sectors.

Earth, Planets and Space

The delay times tend to be longer around the midnight sector than around the dawn and dusk sectors.

Earth, Planets and Space

Further, the peak height hmF2 shows a larger variability around the midnight than daytime in the equinox and winter seasons and reserved in summer, respectively.

Advances in Space Research

This reflects the local time extent of less than 7 h of the ionospheric and field-aligned current perturbations that create the observed PiB variations around the midnight associated with substorm auroras.

Earth, Planets and Space

During that time I worked at jobs in Manhattan, which began early in the morning and found me coming home very late at night, around the midnight hour sometimes later.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

No one was walking around, though the night was warm.

The New York Times - Books

– The Visual Experience Engine delivers seamless panning zooming around the night sky.

TechCrunch

The values of both parameters generally increase during the sunrise period attaining a peak around the noon and then decaying towards the night time.

Advances in Space Research

Boone would sometimes entertain his hunting companions by reading to them around the evening campfire.

Wikipedia

The concern was usually around the evening and night period when the NP was not available.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the period close to midnight, consider using alternatives like "near midnight" or "close to midnight", especially in formal writing.

Common error

Avoid adding "the" before "midnight" when using "around". The correct phrasing is "around midnight", not "around the midnight". The addition of 'the' is grammatically incorrect and makes the sentence sound awkward.

Linguistic Context

The phrase, though grammatically dubious, attempts to function as an adverbial phrase of time, indicating an approximate time close to midnight. Ludwig provides examples where the phrase is used, though it flags the usage as potentially incorrect.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "around the midnight" is generally considered grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "around midnight". Despite some examples of its use, Ludwig AI indicates it's not standard English. When referring to the time near midnight, it's best to use "around midnight", "near midnight", or "close to midnight" for better clarity and grammatical correctness. While the phrase might appear in informal contexts like some news reports, avoiding it in formal writing is advisable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

near midnight

Simplifies the phrase, focusing on the closeness to midnight.

close to midnight

Similar to "near midnight", emphasizing the proximity in time.

at or near midnight

Combines both "at" and "near" for a comprehensive indication of time.

approximately midnight

Replaces "around the midnight" with a more precise term indicating an estimated time.

about midnight

Indicates an approximate time, similar to "approximately midnight".

towards midnight

Suggests a progression leading up to midnight.

in the vicinity of midnight

A more formal way of saying "around midnight".

around 12 am

Specifies the time using the 12-hour clock system.

at the midnight hour

Emphasizes the specific time and can add a dramatic or literary flair.

in the late hours

Refers to the general time frame without specifying midnight directly.

FAQs

Is "around the midnight" grammatically correct?

No, the correct form is "around midnight". Adding "the" before "midnight" is grammatically incorrect in this context. Ludwig AI confirms this.

What's a better way to say "around the midnight"?

Use "around midnight", "near midnight", or "close to midnight". These alternatives are grammatically sound and widely accepted.

How do I use "around midnight" in a sentence?

You can say, "We plan to start the fireworks display around midnight". It indicates an approximate time.

Which is more formal, "around midnight" or "close to midnight"?

"Around midnight" is generally suitable for most contexts. "Close to midnight" is a fine alternative as well, but neither is inherently more formal than the other.