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

Historically, Stage 4 melanoma carried a median survival time of less than a year. — ABC News, 22 July 2026

In comparison, the median income in a household headed by someone age 65 or over was about $60,000 per year, according to the AARP, including Social Security benefits and other retirement income. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Noun

The average monthly salary was about $5,700, compared with a median of about $6,200, according to the 2023 report. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

The Malibu then crossed back over the highway and collided with a concrete barrier in the median, state police said. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026