mediocrity

noun

me·​di·​oc·​ri·​ty ˌmē-dē-ˈä-krə-tē 

plural mediocrities

1

a

: the quality or state of being mediocre

came to terms with his mediocrity

b

: moderate ability or value

fed up with the mediocrity of the local schools

2

: a mediocre person

a most intelligent middle-aged mediocrity

—Oscar Wilde

Did you know?

The Enduring Moderation of Mediocre

One of the things that is remarkable about mediocre is the extent to which it has retained its meaning over the course of more than four centuries of continual use. The word, when used as an adjective, has changed very little, if at all, in its meaning since it was used in a 1586 book titled The English Secretorie (our earliest known evidence): “Mediocre, a meane betwixt high and low, vehement and slender, too much and too little as we saye. . . .” The word comes to English via Middle French from the Latin word mediocris, meaning "of medium size, moderate, middling, commonplace," and perhaps originally "halfway to the top." The noun form of mediocre is mediocrity.

Did you know?

People interested in words always point out that mediocrity doesn't mean quite what its main root would indicate: Why doesn't it describe something that's right in the middle of the pack, exactly what you would expect? Instead the words mediocrity and mediocre always suggest disappointment. A mediocre play is one you wish you hadn't wasted an evening on, and the mediocre actor in it should probably find another profession. A person can even be called a mediocrity, though it isn't very nice and you'd never do it to his face.

Examples of mediocrity in a Sentence

We were disappointed by the mediocrity of the wine.

He thought that he was a brilliant artist himself and that all his fellow painters were just mediocrities.

Recent Examples on the Web

The only character who seems entirely transparent is Frederik, who can’t hide his resentment of his second-class spousal status or his contempt for the sycophants and mediocrities who cling to his wife like barnacles. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025

What if owner Dick Monfort’s loyalty to his employees could be used to retain elite talent rather than perpetuate mediocrity? —Andy McCullough, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

Like Muscle Man, Mixtape follows a self-important, inarticulate mediocrity on the fringe of a minor American metropolis. —Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025

One month ago, they were resigned to another season of mediocrity. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mediokerte, mediocrite "moderation, medium size or amount," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French mediocrité "intermediate state," borrowed from Latin mediocritāt-, mediocritās "moderateness of size or amount, intermediate character, limited ability," from mediocris "of medium size, moderate, mediocre" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

mediocrity

noun

me·​di·​oc·​ri·​ty ˌmēd-ē-ˈäk-rət-ē 

plural mediocrities

1

: the quality or state of being mediocre

2

: a mediocre person