median 1 of 2

Definition of mediannext

median

2 of 2

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
Even so, the median US household income just climbed to a record level. Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 In 2019, households had a median income of $85,320, a level that wasn't surpassed until 2025, the Census said on Tuesday. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
Luxury listings spent a median of 74 days on the market in August, four days fewer than a year earlier, although seven days more than in July. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2026 Operating, finance, and information chiefs gained $725,584 among all three roles combined at the median. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for median
Recent Examples of Synonyms for median
Adjective
  • These give an idea of what an average American Jewish community would have known, in those years, about those events.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The average prices calculated by AAA are just that - averages per county, metro area, and state.
    Paula Wethington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The reform plans include a potentially painful overhaul of the creaking pension system, a reduction of Germany’s stifling bureaucracy and cuts to income tax for low- and middle-income families.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The government’s reforms include cuts to income tax for low- and middle-income families, an overhaul of the pension system and a reduction of Germany’s bureaucracy.
    Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • That trend will continue through the weekend, with Sunday highs likely a few degrees below normal for this time of year.
    Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Temperatures are expected to be closer to seasonal normals, reaching highs in the 80s through the weekend and into early next week.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The 24-year-old, like Gordon, who replaced him in the second half, offered energetic pressing, even sprinting from close to the halfway line to close down the goalkeeper at one point.
    Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 26-year-old information technology administrator consumed a Red Bull energy drink around the film's halfway mark to stay alert.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Adjective
  • The Timberland Stone Street Platform 6-inch Boot is available now in new burgundy and black full-grain leather looks with stud embellishments across their lateral and medial quarter panels.
    Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The operation is a grafting procedure in which doctors take tendons from another part of the body – the forearm, hamstring, hip or knee – and replace the medial ligament in the elbow with the grafted portion.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Compaction and decommissioning The remaining low- and intermediate-level waste is then loaded into 165-liter steel drums.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Jordan Donahoo gets his second TD of the day on a 21 yard pass by Sebastian Galeano who has shown great intermediate accuracy so far.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The property demonstrates the reasons mid-century modern houses remain popular.
    James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In one photo from proposal day, she can be seen flashing the engagement ring off to the mid-ride camera — a moment three years in the making.
    Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Median.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/median. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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