Synonyms of average

average 1 of 3

adjective

1

as in median

being about midway between extremes of amount or size

since a Chihuahua seems as impractical as a Saint Bernard, let's get a dog of more average dimensions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in normal

being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

just an average day at the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• normal
• ordinary
• usual
• typical
• standard
• common
• commonplace
• routine
• everyday
• unremarkable
• expected
• customary
• regular
• prosaic
• unexceptional
• run-of-the-mill
• garden-variety
• standard-issue
• familiar
• par for the course
• workaday
• cut-and-dried
• cut-and-dry
• homely
• plain
• predictable
• popular
• frequent
• insignificant
• trivial
• vulgar
• unimportant
• habitual
• natural
• unextraordinary
• plain-Jane
• wonted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extraordinary
• exceptional
• unusual
• abnormal
• strange
• odd
• atypical
• curious
• peculiar
• anomalous
• rare
• funny
• out-of-the-way
• quaint
• irregular
• scarce
• aberrant
• queer
• phenomenal
• untypical
• outstanding
• outrageous
• fantastic
• wild
• eccentric
• bizarre
• fantastical
• weird
• idiosyncratic
• prominent
• notable
• unprecedented
• striking
• unconventional
• wacky
• unique
• unorthodox
• signal
• freakish
• conspicuous
• offbeat
• freak
• unparalleled
• novel
• salient
• singular
• recherché
• oddball
• whacky
• unexampled
• outré
• nonconformist
• way-out
• kooky
• far-out
• Kafkaesque
• kookie

3

as in typical

having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind

the company's marketing people want to interview average teenagers to see what kinds of clothes appeal to them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• typical
• normal
• standard
• usual
• regular
• true
• characteristic
• representative
• ordinary
• archetypal
• archetypical
• conventional
• common
• customary
• classic
• everyday
• expected
• predictable
• commonplace
• routine
• predominant
• habitual
• familiar
• unremarkable
• workaday
• vintage
• unexceptional
• textbook
• wonted
• preponderant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abnormal
• atypical
• anomalous
• unusual
• deviant
• aberrant
• irregular
• uncommon
• untypical
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• special
• infrequent
• remarkable
• rare
• unique
• unconventional
• nontypical
• nonrepresentative
• unexpected
• unpredictable
• distinctive
• noteworthy
• singular
• unfamiliar
• eccentric
• unknown
• unwonted
• especial
• idiosyncratic
• peculiar
• uncustomary
• odd
• unorthodox
• strange
• curious
• erratic
• nonconformist
• outlandish
• funny
• oddball
• outrageous
• quirky
• screwy
• wacky
• funky
• wild
• offbeat
• freakish
• fantastic
• unnatural
• bizarre
• weird
• freak
• out-of-the-way
• fantastical
• whacky
• way-out
• kooky
• outré
• kookie
• far-out

average

2 of 3

noun

ˈa-v(ə-)rij 

as in norm

what is typical of a group, class, or series

my cat's a cut above the average when it comes to being a finicky eater

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deviation
• exception
• anomaly
• abnormality
• rarity

average

3 of 3

verb

1

as in to measure

Related Words

• measure
• reach
• equal
• number
• total
• aggregate
• count (up to)
• come (to)
• amount (to)
• sum (to or into)
• comprise
• add up (to)
• constitute
• make up
• compose

2

as in to equalize

Related Words

• equalize
• even
• organize
• order
• marshall
• systematize
• square
• normalize
• methodize
• codify
• standardize
• systemize
• regularize
• rule
• marshal
• regulate
• control
• homogenize
• govern
• reconcile
• coordinate
• formalize
• certify
• synthesize
• conform
• integrate
• accredit
• conciliate
• harmonize

Dissimilar Words

• tailor
• customize
• individualize

Synonym Chooser

How is the word average distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of average are mean, median, and norm. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," 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 average?

The words mean and average are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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°

In what contexts can median take the place of average?

While the synonyms median and average are close in meaning, 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

Where would norm be a reasonable alternative to average?

In some situations, the words norm and average 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 average

Adjective

The units will average between 525 and 600 square feet. —Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025

The rooms average about 250 square feet and many have floor-to-ceiling windows that look over the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve. —Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025

Noun

Gen Zers now carry more than $94,000 in personal debt on average, a Newsweek poll showed—far more than millennials’ roughly $60,000 or Gen X’s $53,000. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025

Conversely, the two safeties that the Dolphins opted not to re-sign after 2023 — Pittsburgh’s DeShon Elliott and Denver’s Brandon Jones — are both ranked well above-average run defenders, with Elliott slotted fourth. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025

Verb

Most other Disney World single-day, single-park tickets have increased by about an average of $5, while Animal Kingdom park’s least-expensive single-day ticket will remain $119. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025

Demand for tech and STEM-related jobs in San Jose is the highest in the nation, the study found, four times higher than the national average and significantly higher than any other city. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025