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Definition of averagenext
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average

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noun

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

average

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verb

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

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 average
Adjective
Houston, on average, records about 52 inches of rain every year, based on recent climate data. Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026 Argentina’s Health Ministry said there were 28 deaths from hantavirus last year, up from an average mortality rate of 15 in the five years before that. Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Noun
With no more ships arriving from the Persian Gulf, California will miss out on an average of 200,000 barrels of oil per day from that area. Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026 When smoothing out that volatility, monthly job gains are running at a three-month average of 48,000. Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Verb
Weekday lunch waits these days seem to average about 45 minutes. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026 The company offers more than 350 trips in some 100 countries on all seven continents, and tour group sizes average 11 participants. Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for average
Recent Examples of Synonyms for average
Adjective
  • High prices and financial strain The median home price in Colorado is about $604,300, well above the national average.
    Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
  • In fact, last year the median sales price of an existing home ($441,500) surpassed that of a new home ($401,800).
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • After replanting, or if the roots look normal, keep the soil moist.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
  • But not the average, normal citizen workers.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • The typical lifespan of a tire pressure monitoring sensor (TPMS) battery is about 7–10 years.
    Hartford Courant, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
  • At NBCUniversal’s upfront on May 11, as has become typical for this time of year, Bravo flooded the zone.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • Another 10-game winning streak was in the books Friday after a 7-1 win over the Texas Rangers before 32,394 at Globe Life Field, the second such run of the season for a Cubs team that continues to defy baseball norms.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • These all became media norms, but Gawker took the lead.
    Frank DiGiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • Whether the execution matches the ambition will depend on decisions being made right now about how much to spend, where to direct it and whether the data systems needed to measure success get rebuilt.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
  • For years, however, scientists lacked a reliable way to measure the real-time power of these jets.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • Brennan Creek equalized in the 34th minute after a corner kick caused some chaos in the box.
    Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Eight minutes later, defender Kennedy Wesley carried her momentum from a standout USWNT camp last week, scoring a stunning header off a corner kick to equalize.
    Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • By evening, the Aries Moon moves through your 9th House of Expansion, stirring adventure, passion, and plans that stretch beyond the ordinary.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2026
  • But there is a big difference between ordinary political competition and a coordinated national effort to purge state lawmakers for exercising independent judgment on a matter before their own legislature.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • The new approach actually cleans up some visual clutter while ratcheting up the aggression, making the DB12’s standard arrangement appear somewhat unfinished by comparison.
    Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 8 May 2026
  • In Chile and other places where hantaviruses are more common, a standard recommendation for patients with respiratory symptoms is to swiftly transfer them to a health facility with high-level care, preferably one with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Average.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/average. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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