median
noun
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Definition of median
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a medial (see medial sense 2b) part (such 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 number
b : a vertical line that divides the histogram of a frequency distribution into two parts of equal area
c : 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 sense 2) of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side
b : a line joining the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezoid (see trapezoid sense 1a)
4 : median strip
median
adjectiveDefinition of median (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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Synonyms & Antonyms for median
Synonyms: Adjective
central, halfway, intermediary, intermediate, medial, mediate, medium, mid, middle, midmost
Antonyms: Adjective
extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost
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Examples of median in a Sentence
Adjective
What is the median price of homes in this area? the median price of a home in the areaRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
But that’s still below the medians for other major Texas cities. — Richard Webner, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio ranks low in number of million-dollar homes," 12 July 2018 Much of Liberty Park is in a census tract whose median household income is barely half the citywide median. — Sven Berg, idahostatesman, "A 60-year-old fuel terminal could leave Boise’s Bench. Here’s what could replace it.," 11 July 2018 If investors’ expectations are met, by 2027 Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft will all have profits above the historical median of 0.24%. — The Economist, "History’s biggest firms," 5 July 2018 While Richmond has plenty of other Confederate symbols, the commission's mandate was limited to the five giant Confederate statues that dot Monument Avenue, a prestigious residential street lined with mansions and divided by a grassy median. — Sarah Rankin, The Christian Science Monitor, "After a year of soul-searching, Richmond reimagines its Confederate monuments," 3 July 2018 For folks who see increases well above the median in fast-rising neighborhoods, a higher tax bill is all but certain barring a successful assessment appeal. — Hal Dardick, chicagotribune.com, "Home values rise on North Side, fall on South Side as Berrios tweaks assessments," 3 July 2018 While Richmond has plenty of other Confederate symbols, the commission’s mandate was limited to the five giant Confederate statues that dot Monument Avenue, a prestigious residential street lined with mansions and divided by a grassy median. — Sarah Rankin, The Seattle Times, "Panel: Remove Confederate president’s statue in Richmond," 2 July 2018 The Bloomberg survey median called for a 0.4 percent gain. — Fortune, "U.S. Inflation Posted Its Highest Annual Growth Rate in 6 Years," 29 June 2018 But the report also shows that the profit would not be quite enough to cover the median down payment on a new home in Miami, which stood at $53,820 as of April 2018. — Rene Rodriguez, miamiherald, "Miami home sellers made a nice profit in 2017. Just not quite enough for a new place.," 26 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The median home value there is just under half a million or $479,400, while a typical household makes $53,685 a year. — Johnny Diaz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Three South Florida cities rank among the worst to live in," 20 June 2018 For the median home value, that’s about $33 per year. — Zoie Matthew, Los Angeles Magazine, "Here’s What’s Being Done to End L.A.’s Homelessness Crisis," 14 June 2018 The median home value, including condominiums, for six cities in South King County — Tukwila, Burien, Renton, Kent, Normandy Park and SeaTac — was $458,000 in April, according to Zillow. — Nina Shapiro, The Seattle Times, "South King County tries to ride the development wave. Will an immigrant community be crushed?," 9 June 2018 In the four years to April 2012 the median house value in America fell by a fifth. — The Economist, "How a small town in North Dakota got its groove back," 7 June 2018 The median home value was $335,800 versus $135,300 for the state. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "The richest small town in Kansas? Site says it's this JoCo spot, but that's doubtful," 7 June 2018 According to Zillow, the median home value in California is $537,315 and is expected to rise even higher. — Phillip Molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Is California's solar mandate a good move?," 25 May 2018 For a resident with a home valued at $160,000 - the median value in the county - the one mill would mean a tax of $135 a year or $11.25 a month. — Stephen Hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orange County commissioners expected to OK school request to put renewal tax on Aug. 28 ballot," 22 May 2018 The median value of a home in San Francisco -- $938,186 -- is nearly five times higher than one in Houston. — Nancy Sarnoff, Houston Chronicle, "Houston vs. San Francisco: No competition when it comes to home prices," 22 May 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for median
median
noun
English Language Learners Definition of median
(Entry 1 of 2)
mathematics : the middle value in a series of values arranged from smallest to largest
median
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of median (Entry 2 of 2)
: in the middle; especially mathematics : having a value that is in the middle of a series of values arranged from smallest to largest
See the full definition for median in the English Language Learners Dictionary
median
nounKids Definition of median
: 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.
median
noun
\
Medical Definition of median
(Entry 1 of 2)
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 number
b : a vertical line that divides the histogram of a frequency distribution into two parts of equal area
median
adjectiveMedical Definition of median (Entry 2 of 2)
: situated in the middle specifically : lying in a plane dividing a bilateral animal into right and left halves
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