Average Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 5, 2024
Average refers to the typical or common amount, quality, rate, or degree, often calculated as the sum of values divided by the number of values. e.g., Her average score in math was 85.
Table of Contents
Average Definitions
A number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data.
The average temperature in July is 75 degrees.
Typical or usual for a particular group or situation.
The average consumer spends $200 monthly on groceries.
Mediocre or common in quality.
The movie's plot was pretty average.
Representing a middle or normal level.
Her running speed is average for her age.
The result obtained by adding several quantities and then dividing by their count.
Calculate the average of the test scores.
An estimate of typical usage or occurrence.
The average rainfall in April is 3 inches.
A number that typifies a set of numbers of which it is a function.
See arithmetic mean.
An intermediate level or degree
Near the average in size.
The usual or ordinary kind or quality
Although the wines vary, the average is quite good.
(Sports)The ratio of a team's or player's successful performances such as wins, hits, or goals, divided by total opportunities for successful performance, such as games, times at bat, or shots
Finished the season with a .500 average.
A batting average of .274.
The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
A charge incurred through such a loss.
(Nautical)Small expenses or charges that are usually paid by the master of a ship.
(Mathematics)Of, relating to, or constituting an average.
Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale
A movie of average length.
A player of average ability.
Usual or ordinary in kind or character
A poll of average people.
Average eyesight.
Assessed in accordance with the law of averages.
(Mathematics)To calculate the average of
Average a set of numbers.
To do or have an average of
Averaged three hours of work a day.
To distribute proportionately
Average one's income over four years so as to minimize the tax rate.
To be or amount to an average
Some sparrows are six inches long, but they average smaller. Our expenses averaged out to 45 dollars per day.
(mathematics) The arithmetic mean.
2=The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18.
(statistics) Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.
Financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.
Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.
Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.
(sports) An indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.
Batting average
In the corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.
The service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.
(not comparable) Constituting or relating to the average.
The average age of the participants was 18.5.
Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.
I soon found I was only an average chess player.
Typical.
The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product.
(informal) Not outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor.
(transitive) To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.
If you average 10, 20 and 24, you get 18.
(transitive) Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.
The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C.
I averaged 75% in my examinations this year.
(transitive) To divide among a number, according to a given proportion.
To average a loss
(intransitive) To be, generally or on average.
That service which a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the work beasts of the tenant, as the carriage of wheat, turf, etc.
A tariff or duty on goods, etc.
A mean proportion, medial sum or quantity, made out of unequal sums or quantities; an arithmetical mean. Thus, if A loses 5 dollars, B 9, and C 16, the sum is 30, and the average 10.
Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc.
In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.
Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the average stamp.
According to the laws of averages; as, the loss must be made good by average contribution.
To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean.
To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to average a loss.
To do, accomplish, get, etc., on an average.
To form, or exist in, a mean or medial sum or quantity; to amount to, or to be, on an average; as, the losses of the owners will average twenty five dollars each; these spars average ten feet in length.
A statistic describing the location of a distribution;
It set the norm for American homes
Amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain;
The number of hours I work per work averages out to 40
Achieve or reach on average;
He averaged a C
Compute the average of
Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;
The average income in New England is below that of the nation
Of average height for his age
The mean annual rainfall
Lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered;
Average people
The ordinary (or common) man in the street
Of no exceptional quality or ability;
A novel of average merit
Only a fair performance of the sonata
In fair health
The caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average
The performance was middling at best
Around the middle of a scale of evaluation of physical measures;
An orange of average size
Intermediate capacity
A plane with intermediate range
Medium bombers
Relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution;
The modal age at which American novelists reach their peak is 30
Relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in an even-numbered set);
The median value of 17, 20, and 36 is 20
The median income for the year was $15,000
Not special or extraordinary; ordinary.
His performance was average, not outstanding.
The mean amount, as in arithmetic.
The average of those numbers is 50.
Mathematical calculation dividing the sum of values by their number.
To find the class average, add all grades and divide by the number of students.
Regular or customary.
His daily routine is quite average.
Average Snonyms
Median
The middle value in a list of numbers, which separates the higher half from the lower half.
The median income in the area has increased over the past year.
Par
The face value of a stock or other security, as distinct from its market value; or, a standard level.
The golfer scored a birdie, one below par on the hole.
Standard
A level of quality or attainment; something considered as a normative example.
The restaurant's service is above the industry standard.
Mean
The mathematical average of a set of numbers, calculated by dividing the sum of these numbers by their quantity.
The mean score of the class test was higher than expected.
Ordinary
With no special or distinctive features; normal.
It was just an ordinary day at the office, with nothing unusual happening.
Norm
A standard or typical value, behavior, or condition in a group or society.
Working from home has become the new norm for many companies.
Typical
Characteristic of a particular person, place, or thing; regular; usual.
The results were typical for this time of year, showing no significant deviation.
Usual
Habitually or typically occurring or done; customary.
She arrived at her usual time for the meeting.
Common
Occurring, found, or done often; prevalent.
It's common to feel nervous before giving a presentation.
Customary
According to the customs or usual practices associated with a particular society, place, or set of circumstances.
It is customary to tip service staff in many countries.
Average Idioms & Phrases
Above average
Better than normal or typical.
Her performance in the math test was above average, placing her among the top students in her class.
Below average
Worse than normal or typical.
The quality of service at the restaurant was below average, leading to several customer complaints.
On average
Typically or usually, when considering all instances or occurrences.
On average, the region receives more rainfall in spring than in summer.
Your average Joe
A term for an ordinary, typical person without anything unusual or special.
He's just your average Joe, living a quiet life in a small town.
Average bear
Referring to an ordinary or typical person, similar to 'average Joe.'
Compared to expert climbers, he's an average bear when it comes to mountain hiking.
Average down
To decrease the average cost of something by buying more at a lower price.
She averaged down her shareholding costs by buying more shares during the market dip.
Average up
To increase the average of something by adding higher-value or larger items.
By buying more expensive stocks, he averaged up the value of his investment portfolio.
Average it out
To calculate the mean of different numbers or values.
When we average it out, each person needs to contribute $50 to cover the trip's cost.
Average out
To reach a middle or standard level after considering all aspects or figures.
Despite some high and low sales months, the company's earnings averaged out to a steady income.
The law of averages
The idea that events will even out over time, and deviations from the average will be corrected naturally.
He believes that, by the law of averages, his next bet is more likely to win.
Slightly below average
A little worse than normal or typical.
The weather this summer has been slightly below average in terms of temperature.
Raise the average
To improve the overall standard or quality of something.
The new hire's exceptional skills helped raise the average performance level of the team.
Strike an average
To find a balance or middle point between different figures or opinions.
To settle the dispute, they tried to strike an average between the two estimates.
Not your average
Used to describe something or someone that is not typical or ordinary.
This is not your average coffee shop; they also host live music and art shows.
Split the difference/average
To find a middle ground or compromise between two differing points.
The two parties couldn't agree on a price, so they decided to split the difference.
Average in comparison
To be typical or ordinary when compared to others.
His results were average in comparison to his classmates.
Hit the average
To achieve a result that is typical or expected.
His sales for the month hit the average for the team, neither high nor low.
Well above average
Significantly better than normal or typical.
Her artistic talents are well above average; she's won several regional competitions.
Average out to
To result in a certain average when all factors or numbers are considered.
His expenses for the year averaged out to about $2,000 per month.
Average in size
Being of a typical or medium size.
The apartment was average in size, suitable for a small family.
Average Example Sentences
His grades have risen above average this semester.
The average speed of the wind was 10 mph.
On average, she reads about four books a month.
The restaurant's food quality was average at best.
For her, running five miles a day is average.
They calculated the average cost of their trip.
The average temperature in winter here is around 32 degrees.
On an average day, she spends two hours on homework.
The report showed the average income for the region.
The average age of the students in the class was 12.
He scored average marks in his history test.
The average height for a man in this country is 5 feet 9 inches.
The game lasted an average of 90 minutes.
It's average for students to feel nervous before exams.
Their car's average fuel consumption is 30 miles per gallon.
Common Curiosities
How many syllables are in average?
There are three syllables in "average."
Why is it called average?
"Average" is called so because it comes from the Middle French word "avarie," meaning damage to a ship or its cargo, and later came to mean the calculation of shared loss, which evolved into its modern meaning of a typical amount.
How is average used in a sentence?
Example: "The average temperature in July is 85 degrees."
How do we divide average into syllables?
"Average" is divided into syllables as "av-er-age."
What is the verb form of average?
"Average" itself can be used as a verb.
What is the first form of average?
The first form (base form) of "average" is "average."
What is a stressed syllable in average?
The stressed syllable in "average" is the first one: av-.
What is the root word of average?
The root word of "average" is the Middle French word "avarie."
What is the second form of average?
The second form (past simple) of "average" is "averaged."
What is the singular form of average?
"Average" remains the same in singular form.
What is the plural form of average?
"Average" remains the same in plural form.
What is the pronunciation of average?
Average is pronounced as /ˈæv.ər.ɪdʒ/.
What is the opposite of average?
The opposite of "average" could be "exceptional" or "atypical."
Is average a noun or adjective?
"Average" can be used both as a noun and an adjective.
Is average an abstract noun?
As a noun, "average" can be considered abstract since it represents a concept rather than a physical object.
Is the average term a metaphor?
"Average" can be used metaphorically in some contexts.
Which determiner is used with average?
Determiners like "the," "an," or "a" can be used with "average," depending on the context.
What is another term for average?
Another term for "average" is "mean" (in mathematics) or "typical."
Is average a vowel or consonant?
"Average" is a word, not a single vowel or consonant.
Is average a countable noun?
When used as a noun, "average" is generally uncountable.
Which conjunction is used with average?
Conjunctions such as "and," "but," or "or" can be used with "average," depending on the sentence.
What is the third form of average?
The third form (past participle) of "average" is "averaged."
What part of speech is average?
"Average" can be a noun, an adjective, or a verb, depending on the context.
Is average an adverb?
No, "average" is not typically used as an adverb.
Is average a negative or positive word?
"Average" is neutral; it is neither inherently negative nor positive.
Is average a collective noun?
"Average" is not a collective noun in the traditional sense, but it does represent a collective measure or calculation.
Is the word average imperative?
"Average" can be used in the imperative form when used as a verb, as in "Average these numbers."
Is the word average Gerund?
The gerund form of "average" as a verb is "averaging."
Is the word “average” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Average" can serve as a direct object when used as a noun in a sentence.
Which vowel is used before average?
Any vowel can precede "average," depending on the context and the preceding word.
Which preposition is used with average?
Prepositions like "on," "of," or "above" can be used with "average."
Which article is used with average?
The articles "the," "a," or "an" can be used with "average," depending on the context.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
