in medias res
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L192569 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ɪn ˌmiːdiəs ˈɹeɪz/ / /ˌmiːdiæs/ / /ˈrɛz/
adj
Etymology: Borrowed from Latin in mediās rēs (literally “into the middle of things”).
- Beginning in the middle of its storyline: said of a work of literature or a film.
“Although not strictly in medias res, the film uses flashbacks extensively.”
adv
Etymology: Borrowed from Latin in mediās rēs (literally “into the middle of things”).
- In the middle of a storyline.
“This novel begins in medias res.”
“As in a good epic, Ulysses begins in medias res and fills us in on Stephen's life since the end of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by flashback; and by the flashback of memory we are given the story of Molly's and Bloom's lives.”
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Latin in mediās rēs (literally “into the middle of things”).
- Narrative presented in medias res.
“Anyway, the characters have been introduced but by no means established. I know Final Fantasy’s always been big on in medias res, but even the most basic questions about the plot remain unanswered. Who the fuck are these people? What is going on? Why should I care? Can I stop playing now? Please?”