mean
verb
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meaning\ ˈmē-niŋ
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Definition of mean
(Entry 1 of 4)
1a : to have in the mind as a purpose : intend she means to win —sometimes used interjectionally with I, chiefly in informal speech for emphasis he throws, I mean, hard or to introduce a phrase restating the point of a preceding phrase we try to answer what we can, but I mean we're not God— Bobbie Ann Mason
b : to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future I was meant to teach
3 : to have importance to the degree of health means everything
4 : to direct to a particular individual His criticism was meant for all of us.
: to have an intended purpose he means well
: to be in earnest
mean
adjective (1)
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Definition of mean (Entry 2 of 4)
2 : lacking in mental discrimination : dull
3a : of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status mean city streets
b : worthy of little regard : contemptible —often used in negative constructions as a term of praise no mean feat
4 : lacking dignity or honor : base a mean motive
b : characterized by petty selfishness or malice a mean surly man
c : causing trouble or bother : vexatious a mean soil to work
d : excellent, effective plays a mean trumpet a lean, mean athlete
6 : ashamed sense 1b His ready cooperation made me feel mean for what I had said.
mean
adjective (2)
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Definition of mean (Entry 3 of 4)
1 : occupying a middle position : intermediate in space, order, time, kind, or degree
2 : occupying a position about midway between extremes especially : being the mean of a set of values : average the mean temperature
3 : serving as a means : intermediary
mean
noun
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Definition of mean (Entry 4 of 4)
1a(1) : something intervening or intermediate
(2) : a middle point between extremes
b : a value that lies within a range of values and is computed according to a prescribed law: such as
(1) : arithmetic mean
(2) : expected value
c : either of the middle two terms of a proportion
2 means plural in form but singular or plural in construction : something useful or helpful to a desired end
3 means plural : resources available for disposal especially : material resources affording a secure life
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Other Words from mean
Verb
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noun
Adjective (1)
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noun
Synonyms for mean
Synonyms: Verb
denote, express, import, intend, signify, spell
Synonyms: Noun
expedient, measure, move, shift, step
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Examples of mean in a Sentence
Verb
The season of backyard barbecues and lakeside cookouts is at hand, which in most parts of the country means an orgy of grilled steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs lasting until Labor Day and beyond. — R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times, 5 June 2002 Even the water in the cave was free from surface contamination … which meant that all the water now in Lechugilla percolated into the cave before the widespread nuclear bomb testing of the 1940s … — Jon Krakauer, Air & Space, October/November 1995 Home meant my father, with kind eyes, songs, and tense recitations for my brother and myself. — Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993 The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now. Red means “stop” and green means “go.” Can you tell me what my dream means? What was meant by the poet? Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context. He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a very easy question. Anyone, and I mean anyone, should be able to answer it. She's not getting any thinner, if you know what I mean. She says she didn't mean anything by what she did. I don't trust him. He means no good.Adjective (1)
For thirty years he had been a ruthless litigator, the meanest, nastiest, and without a doubt one of the most effective courtroom brawlers in Chicago. — John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 … the streets of Spanish Harlem are meaner than when he left them, and they're pulling him back in. — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 1993 … what you discover is the one with the tail was old mean landlord Mr. prosperous Prospero who wielded without thought of God or man the merry old cat-o'-nine-tails … — Darryl Pinckney, Times Literary Supplement, 23 Aug. 1991 Creighton Abrams was a tanker, according to George Patton the meanest tanker the Germans had faced in the whole U.S. Third Army, and he had a temper that matched the fearsome machines he loved. — Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988Noun
Take all these temperatures and calculate their mean. trying to find a golden mean between doing too little and doing too much
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Learn More about mean
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'Misdemeanor': Not Always a Crime
'Misdemeanor': Not Always a Crime
The demeanor part used to be much bigger.
Dictionary Entries near mean
Statistics for mean
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for mean
The first known use of mean was before the 12th century
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More Definitions for mean
mean
adjectiveFinancial Definition of mean
What It Is
The mean is the average of a series of numbers.
How It Works
The formula for calculating a mean is:
Mean = (X1 + X2 + X3 + ... +XN) / N
where X1, X2, X3, XN are the values of the observations being averaged and N equals the number of observations
Let's assume that you would like to find the mean price of Company XYZ for the last four years. Here are the stock prices for each of the four years:
Year 1: $10
Year 2: $15
Year 3: $20
Year 4: $25
Using this information and the formula above, we can calculate that the mean price of Company XYZ is:
($10 + $15 + $20 + $25) / 4 = $17.50
The mean is always between the smallest and the largest of the numbers in the set.
Why It Matters
The mean allows investors to gain some insight into stock prices, economic data, and a host of other information. For instance, if Company XYZ's stock price is trading above the mean, it could indicate that the stock is overvalued.
It is important to note that means are not very useful if the underlying data is erratic. That's because one "outlier" could artificially increase or decrease a mean to a point where it is no longer reflects the nature of the bulk of the underlying data. This is one reason some analysts prefer to use weighted averages in certain circumstances.
Source: Investing Answers
mean
verb
English Language Learners Definition of mean
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to have (a particular meaning)
: to want or intend to express (a particular idea or meaning)
: to have (something) in your mind as a purpose or goal
mean
noun
English Language Learners Definition of mean (Entry 2 of 2)
: a middle point between two things
See the full definition for mean in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mean
verb
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Kids Definition of mean
(Entry 1 of 4)
1 : to represent or have as a definite explanation or idea What does this word mean?
2 : to be an indication of Those clouds mean rain.
3 : to have in mind as a purpose He meant to be funny.
4 : to intend for a particular use It's a book meant for children.
5 : to have importance to His visit meant a lot to me.
mean
adjectiveKids Definition of mean (Entry 2 of 4)
1 : deliberately unkind That was a mean trick.
2 : stingy sense 1
3 : low in quality, worth, or dignity That was no mean achievement.
4 : excellent He plays a mean guitar.
mean
adjectiveKids Definition of mean (Entry 3 of 4)
: occurring or being in a middle position : average The mean temperature for June was 70 degrees.
mean
nounKids Definition of mean (Entry 4 of 4)
1 : a middle point or something (as a place, time, number, or rate) that falls at or near a middle point : moderation
2 : arithmetic mean
3 means plural : something that helps a person to get what he or she wants Use every means you can think of to find it.
4 means plural : wealth sense 1 A person of means doesn't worry about money.
: in any way I was not a good student by any means.
: through the use of
: certainly not
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