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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
The Eaton Street Apartments are priced to be affordable, while 10% of the apartments at both the Aspire and Ascent complexes were required by the city to be priced at 60% of the area median income for lower-income renters, Nurmela said. John Aguilar, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025 Where Rents Are Rising the Most The biggest year-over-year increase in the nation was reported in San Jose, California, where the median asking rent jumped by 8.8 percent in July. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
For a family of four in the Sacramento area, 80% area median income is about $103,000, according to federal government requirements. Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025 In June, the median home price in the U.S. was more than $403,000, according to NAR data, while the Social Security Administration reports a national average wage index of about $66,600. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for median
Recent Examples of Synonyms for median
Adjective
  • The average team is worth $7.13 billion, up 20% from a year ago.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
  • That’s up 3% on average, compared with the start of the 2024 school year.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Ford and Chevrolet were near the middle and Stellantis brands Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram occupied the bottom four of the 16 mass market slots, with Ram seeing the most significant decline from last year.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
  • While on the road - Opt for the middle lanes and remain on higher ground.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Over the weekend and into early next week, low pressure over the greater Pacific Northwest will keep winds generally onshore, and cool the temperatures off to seasonal normals.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2025
  • According to the National Weather Service, there will be plenty of sunshine on Monday with temperatures around seasonal normals.
    David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Only two of Swift’s albums appear below the halfway mark on the 200-spot ranking.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • As Phoenix passes the halfway mark of this year’s monsoon, dramatic downpours, gusty haboobs and streaks of lightning across the sky have been mostly absent.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • And their medial knee cartilage showed less worsening, suggesting slower cartilage degeneration.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Key concept: Similar brain patterns in people with shared positive traits Previous studies have shown that people with a higher social status—more central in their networks—and those with lower amounts of loneliness also share similar neural patterns in the medial prefrontal cortex.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • India depends on China not just for finished goods like electronics, but for the essential intermediate products and raw materials that fuel its own industries.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Other top 50 small schools worth noting: Smith College in Northampton, Mass., which enrolls only women, and Kalamazoo College, which requires students to achieve intermediate proficiency in a second language and encourages them to study abroad.
    Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This cottage industry's collective frustration hit a peak in mid 2023.
    Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Warm overnight lows in the low to mid 70s from Friday until Sunday morning.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Median.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/median. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

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