Synonyms of median

median 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in average

being about midway between extremes of amount or size

the median price of a home in the area

Synonyms & Similar Words

• average
• middle
• moderate
• intermediate
• typical
• modest
• reasonable
• medium
• mean
• middling
• normal
• midsize
• standard
• usual
• adequate
• regular
• conventional
• routine
• common
• popular
• tolerable
• commonplace
• passable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extreme
• excessive
• unusual
• exceptional
• uncommon
• rare
• individual
• private
• special
• strange
• unique
• distinctive
• idiosyncratic
• peculiar

2

as in middle

occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes

determine the median point between your two speakers, and test your stereo system from there

Synonyms & Similar Words

• middle
• halfway
• medial
• intermediate
• mid
• central
• intermediary
• mediate
• midmost
• nearest
• equidistant
• medium
• inner
• innermost
• borderline
• in-between
• gray
• inmost
• betwixt and between

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extreme
• farthest
• furthest
• outermost
• remotest
• outer
• utmost
• peripheral
• farthermost
• furthermost
• outmost

median

2 of 2

noun

as in normal

Related Words

• average
• normal
• middle
• mean
• golden mean
• norm
• standard
• usual
• ordinary
• status quo
• rule
• par
• commonplace
• representative
• run
• exemplar

Dissimilar Words

• deviation
• exception
• anomaly
• abnormality
• rarity

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

Recent Examples of median

Adjective

The median age to start receiving benefits was between 64 and 65 for both men and women. — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026

In 2024, the most recent year for which federal data is available, the median annual wage for air traffic controllers was $144,580. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Noun

With a $600,000 median list price, Peabody is relatively affordable compared with some of the North Shore’s wealthier communities. — Mike Winters, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Life expectancy is the median, which means roughly half of people outlive it. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026