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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

Examples of median in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
For this to be considered affordable, a family must earn $120,000 – almost twice the $70,000 median household income for city renters. Hillary Chura, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2024 This is the first instance of the median cost of a single-family home exceeding $2 million since NAR began tracking in 1979. Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 14 Aug. 2024
Noun
In a 100-unit building, for example, a developer might make 15 units affordable for households earning 60% of the area median income. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2024 For single-family homes, rebates will range up to: $10,000 for those making less than 80% of their area median income. $4,000 for those making between 80% to 150% of their area median income. $3,000 for those making at or above 150% of their area median income. Genevieve Redsten, Journal Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for median 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'median.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near median

Cite this Entry

“Median.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/median. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on median

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