Definition of median
2a : a value in an ordered set of values below and above which there is an equal number of values or which is the arithmetic mean of the two middle values if there is no one middle numberb : a vertical line that divides the histogram of a frequency distribution into two parts of equal areac : a value of a random variable for which all greater values make the cumulative distribution function greater than one half and all lesser values make it less than one half
3a : a line from a vertex (see vertex 2) of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite sideb : a line joining the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezoid (see trapezoid 1a)
4 : median strip
People Are Reading
Recent Examples of median from the Web
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In 2010, the median funding of PIs in the top 10% was $1.45 million per PI, whereas the median funding of PIs in the bottom 40% was $140,000 per investigator.
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Across 26 nations that Pew surveyed near the end of Bush's term, a median of only 27 percent had confidence in Bush's ability to handle international affairs.
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Last year, a median of 61 percent held a favorable opinion of the U.S. across France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, compared with 26 percent who held unfavorable views.
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The share of people who report little or no confidence in her, a median of 31 percent across 37 countries, is less than half that for Trump, at 74 percent.
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The truck went through a guardrail into the center median and struck a concrete bridge abutment.
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While construction to widen the road from 131st Street in Palos Park to 179th in Tinley Park is complete, Orland Park is paying for enhancements, such as upgraded pedestrian crossings and landscaping in medians and parkways.
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Orland Park owns the section of 143rd where the median will be decked out, La Margo said.
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The wooden boxes will be installed by city employees at three locations — the Downtown MetroLink Station, the rose garden median at Scott Road and Glenoaks Boulevard and the Chandler Bikeway.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'median.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
People often use the word average without realizing that there are two common forms of average. Suppose you want to find the average net worth of a group of people—that is, the average value of everything they possess. To find one type of average, called the mean, you'd simply add up the total value of money and property of everyone in the group and divide it by the number of people. To find the other type, called the median, you'd identify the net worth of the person who is richer than half the people and poorer than the other half. So if Warren Buffett drove through a tiny village in India, the mean net worth of those in the village would suddenly rise to perhaps a billion dollars, but their median net worth would remain close to zero. Which figure would be more meaningful?
Origin and Etymology of median
Middle English mediane, from Late Latin mediana (vena) median (vein), from feminine of Latin medianus in the middle, central, from medius middle — more at mid
Synonym Discussion of median
Other Anatomy Terms
median
Definition of median
1 : being in the middle or in an intermediate position : medial
2 : lying in the plane dividing a bilateral animal into right and left halves
3 : relating to or constituting a statistical median
4 : produced without occlusion along the lengthwise middle line of the tongue
medianly
adverbExamples of median in a Sentence
What is the median price of homes in this area?
the median price of a home in the area
Recent Examples of median from the Web
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And the proposals were projected to increase rates in particular for older Americans, a particular problem for Maine, where the median age of 43 is the oldest in the country.
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Since early 2015, Foster City’s median home value has increased 13% to a record $1.5 million, more than seven times the national average.
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Valparaiso also has a very low number of violent crimes, a respectable median income of $50,000 and housing won't eat up a big chunk of that money, the report noted.
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A single-day pass to the July 14-17 music festival in Waterfront Park will cost you $69.50, about the median ticket price for any random act at the KFC Yum Center.
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Economists now expect the bank to raise rates another quarter point on Thursday to 7 percent, the highest level since 2009, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.
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The median price of condos sold in May was $331,000 — a 2.3 percent increase over a year earlier.
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The median sales price for single-family homes during the 12-month period that ended June 7 was $430,000, up from $411,000 the previous 12 months.
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Nationwide, the median cost for a private room in a nursing home is $92,000—and the overall cost for care can be four times higher than the annual income of Americans like Sonnenberg.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'median.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of median
Latin medianus —see 1median
MEDIAN Defined for English Language Learners
median
playDefinition of median for English Language Learners
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mathematics : the middle value in a series of values arranged from smallest to largest
median
Definition of median for English Language Learners
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: in the middle; especially mathematics : having a value that is in the middle of a series of values arranged from smallest to largest
MEDIAN Defined for Kids
median
Definition of median for Students
: a value in a series arranged from smallest to largest below and above which there are an equal number of values or which is the average of the two middle values if there is no one middle value The median of the set 1, 3, 7, 12, 19 is 7.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of median
1: a medial part (as a vein or nerve)
2a: a value in an ordered set of values below and above which there is an equal number of values or which is the arithmetic mean of the two middle values if there is no one middle numberb: a vertical line that divides the histogram of a frequency distribution into two parts of equal area
median
Medical Definition of median
: situated in the middle; specifically : lying in a plane dividing a bilateral animal into right and left halves
Learn More about median
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for median Spanish Central: Translation of median Nglish: Translation of median for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of median for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about median
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