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
• typical
• intermediate
• modest
• reasonable
• medium
• mean
• middling
• midsized
• 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
• grey
• 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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• 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

As the Times notes, median lunch prices are only around $3. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025

County appraisers valued the properties at around $742 million; the median home in the portfolio is worth $268,000. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2025

Noun

The alligator had slipped through 70-mph traffic to end up in the median and someone had to get it out, officials said. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025

The median of the 6 positive returns is 3.4%, while the median of the 14 negative returns is -7.3%. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025