median 1 of 2

Definition of mediannext

median

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word median distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of median are average, mean, and norm. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below.

average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars

When would average be a good substitute for median?

The meanings of average and median largely overlap; however, average is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures.

scored an average of 85 on tests

When can mean be used instead of median?

The words mean and median can be used in similar contexts, but mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes.

a high of 70° and a low of 50° give a mean of 60°

When might norm be a better fit than median?

In some situations, the words norm and median are roughly equivalent. However, norm means the average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade.

scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic

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 median
Adjective
However, members of the rate-setting committee’s median expectation for the rate released March 18 implied one quarter-point cut will come before the end of the year. Rachel Barber, USA Today, 8 May 2026 The median home price in Howell is $385,000, Redfin said. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Noun
The median household income in Fort Worth is $82,503, with white residents earning a median of $103,264 and Latino residents earning a median of $76,953, according to data from the 2024 American Community Survey. Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2026 From October 2025 through the end of February 2026, the median wait time for renewals was about 70 days, compared with about 15 days in fiscal year 2025, according to USCIS. Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for median
Recent Examples of Synonyms for median
Adjective
  • Those ratings create an estimate of how many goals each team is expected to score and allow in a game against an average opponent at a neutral site.
    Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 7 May 2026
  • So far, the main direct threat that average Americans seem to have faced from the Iran War has been higher gasoline prices.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • Much of that discussion is on middle and high school grades, where the effects are most visible, but the real issue begins much earlier.
    Tina Dello Russo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
  • Cryst, a 6-foot-10 freshman middle blocker, started off the fourth set with back-to-back service aces.
    Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Noun
  • Following a burst of gang violence in 2022, Bukele announced a then-temporary state of emergency, which has become the new normal in the Central American nation as it's been extended for years.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Roberts had yet to figure out a new normal for the top of the batting order without Betts.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The most famous is the 16th-century Rialto Bridge, which sits roughly at the halfway point and is considered a remarkable architectural and engineering achievement of the Renaissance period.
    Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The fifth and final season of Prime Video’s superhero satire series, The Boys, is nearing the halfway point this week.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Team members celebrate next to winning robot Lightning during a medial ceremony after the second Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing, China, April 19, 2026.
    Simon Ellery, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
  • As the Transit officers descended down to the 4/5/6 platform, one of Griffin’s victims came staggering up the stairs, seeking medial attention, Tisch said.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The design from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory utilizes an intermediate solvation structure where sodium ions are less tightly bound to solvent molecules.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 May 2026
  • Some of the current challenges the city is having with the skatepark include crowds in the big bowl and the big wall drops into the street course, with too much advanced and intermediate terrain, officials said.
    Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • The mid-budget adult comedy that Prada 2 represents may be a one-off rather than a category revival.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 May 2026
  • Trump set off an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting shuffle Currently, the House stands at 217 Republicans to 212 Democrats and the party that holds the White House usually loses ground in the midterms.
    Larry Kaplow, NPR, 9 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Median.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/median. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

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