Between has been used of more than two items since Old English; it is especially appropriate to signify a one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items.

We use between to refer to two things which are clearly separated. We use among to talk about things which are not clearly separated because they are part of a group or crowd or mass of objects: …

In an intermediate situation: My roommates disagreed and I was caught in between.

If something is between two things or is in between them, it has one of the things on one side of it and the other thing on the other side. She left the table to stand between the two men.

To be between two things is to be in the middle. In a picture, if you are between your sisters, one is on your left and the other is on your right. The preposition between comes from the Old English word …

And between is always used to express location or position in the middle of any number of things that are limits or boundaries around the point: This city is located at a point between New York, Chicago, …

Dec 14, 2025 · It is sometimes said that between usually applies to two things, while among applies to more than two things. According to the Oxford English Dictionary: "In all senses, between has been, …