golden mean

Definition of golden meannext
as in middle
a middle point between extremes when it comes to money, the golden mean is saving some income, while giving yourself a modest spending allowance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of golden mean Philosopher Aristotle believed in the golden mean: Between two extremes lies perfection. María Munsuri, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025 What was once perceived as a temporary fix may, however, prove to be the golden mean. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 21 June 2025 Embodied is working to achieve a kind of anthropomorphic golden mean with its bot: not so mechanical that children lose interest but not realistic enough for kids to humanize it. Webb Wright, Scientific American, 5 June 2024 In this world, the golden mean does not exist and equipoise is a pipe dream. Kent Sepkowitz, CNN, 5 Nov. 2022 The result of this mechanical wizardry is the golden mean of a modern luxury conveyance. Tribune News Service, cleveland, 11 Dec. 2021 The trajectory's holding steady, not trending to the golden mean of 2%. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2021 Sullivan notes, for instance, Mayan astrologers’ discovery of the golden mean. Alyssa Mora, Variety, 22 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for golden mean
Noun
  • Arsenal’s first half in the 4-1 home win against Aston Villa a week ago — when the visitors continuously broke through the middle of the pitch — was the perfect example of what happens when their partnership is split up, in this case by Rice’s knee injury.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The Antarctic ice sheet is essentially a very slow-moving frozen river, with ice flowing from the middle of Antarctica out to sea.
    Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Two 1-1 draws in 2023-24 mean City have not come out on top in this fixture since April 2023.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.
    John Seewer, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Golden mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/golden%20mean. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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