Explain the word average

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 (summing to 25) is 5. Depending on the context, an average might be another statistic such as the median, or mode. For example, the average personal income is often given as the median—the number below which are 50% of personal incomes and above which are 50% of personal incomes—because the mean would be higher by including personal incomes from a few billionaires. For this reason, it is recommended to avoid using the word «average» when discussing measures of central tendency.

General properties[edit]

If all numbers in a list are the same number, then their average is also equal to this number. This property is shared by each of the many types of average.

Another universal property is monotonicity: if two lists of numbers A and B have the same length, and each entry of list A is at least as large as the corresponding entry on list B, then the average of list A is at least that of list B. Also, all averages satisfy linear homogeneity: if all numbers of a list are multiplied by the same positive number, then its average changes by the same factor.

In some types of average, the items in the list are assigned different weights before the average is determined. These include the weighted arithmetic mean, the weighted geometric mean and the weighted median. Also, for some types of moving average, the weight of an item depends on its position in the list. Most types of average, however, satisfy permutation-insensitivity: all items count equally in determining their average value and their positions in the list are irrelevant; the average of (1, 2, 3, 4, 6) is the same as that of (3, 2, 6, 4, 1).

Pythagorean means[edit]

The arithmetic mean, the geometric mean and the harmonic mean are known collectively as the Pythagorean means.

Statistical location[edit]

The mode, the median, and the mid-range are often used in addition to the mean as estimates of central tendency in descriptive statistics. These can all be seen as minimizing variation by some measure; see Central tendency § Solutions to variational problems.

Comparison of common averages of values { 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 }

Type Description Example Result
Arithmetic mean Sum of values of a data set divided by number of values: scriptstyle {bar  {x}}={frac  {1}{n}}sum _{{i=1}}^{n}x_{i} (1+2+2+3+4+7+9) / 7 4
Median Middle value separating the greater and lesser halves of a data set 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 3
Mode Most frequent value in a data set 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 2
Mid-range The arithmetic mean of the highest and lowest values of a set (1+9) / 2 5

Mode[edit]

The most frequently occurring number in a list is called the mode. For example, the mode of the list (1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4) is 3. It may happen that there are two or more numbers which occur equally often and more often than any other number. In this case there is no agreed definition of mode. Some authors say they are all modes and some say there is no mode.

Median[edit]

The median is the middle number of the group when they are ranked in order. (If there are an even number of numbers, the mean of the middle two is taken.)

Thus to find the median, order the list according to its elements’ magnitude and then repeatedly remove the pair consisting of the highest and lowest values until either one or two values are left. If exactly one value is left, it is the median; if two values, the median is the arithmetic mean of these two. This method takes the list 1, 7, 3, 13 and orders it to read 1, 3, 7, 13. Then the 1 and 13 are removed to obtain the list 3, 7. Since there are two elements in this remaining list, the median is their arithmetic mean, (3 + 7)/2 = 5.

Mid-range[edit]

The mid-range is the arithmetic mean of the highest and lowest values of a set.

Summary of types[edit]

Name Equation or description As solution to optimization problem
Arithmetic mean bar{x} = frac{1}{n}sum_{i=1}^n x_i  =  frac{1}{n} (x_1 + cdots + x_n) {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} }{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}(x-x_{i})^{2}}
Median The middle value that separates the higher half from the lower half of the data set {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} }{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}|x-x_{i}|}
Geometric median A rotation invariant extension of the median for points in mathbb {R} ^{d} {displaystyle {underset {{vec {x}}in mathbb {R} ^{d}}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}||{vec {x}}-{vec {x}}_{i}||_{2}}
Tukey median Another rotation invariant extension of the median for points in mathbb {R} ^{d}—a point that maximizes the Tukey depth {displaystyle {underset {{vec {x}}in mathbb {R} ^{d}}{operatorname {argmax} }},{underset {{vec {u}}in mathbb {R} ^{d}}{operatorname {min} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}left({begin{cases}1,{text{ if }}({vec {x}}_{i}-{vec {x}})cdot {vec {u}}geq 0\0,{text{ otherwise}}end{cases}}right)}
Mode The most frequent value in the data set {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} }{operatorname {argmax} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}left({begin{cases}1,{text{ if }}x=x_{i}\0,{text{ if }}xneq x_{i}end{cases}}right)}
Geometric mean {displaystyle {sqrt[{n}]{prod _{i=1}^{n}x_{i}}}={sqrt[{n}]{x_{1}cdot x_{2}dotsb x_{n}}}} {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} _{>0}}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}(ln(x)-ln(x_{i}))^{2},qquad {text{if }}x_{i}>0,forall ,iin {1,dots ,n}}
Harmonic mean frac{n}{frac{1}{x_1} + frac{1}{x_2} + cdots + frac{1}{x_n}} {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} _{neq 0}}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}left({frac {1}{x}}-{frac {1}{x_{i}}}right)^{2}}
Lehmer mean {displaystyle {frac {sum _{i=1}^{n}x_{i}^{p}}{sum _{i=1}^{n}x_{i}^{p-1}}}}
Quadratic mean
(or RMS)
sqrt{frac{1}{n} sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2} = sqrt{frac{1}{n}left(x_1^2 + x_2^2 + cdots + x_n^2right)} {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} _{geq 0}}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}(x^{2}-x_{i}^{2})^{2}}
Cubic mean {sqrt[ {3}]{{frac  {1}{n}}sum _{{i=1}}^{{n}}x_{i}^{3}}}={sqrt[ {3}]{{frac  {1}{n}}left(x_{1}^{3}+x_{2}^{3}+cdots +x_{n}^{3}right)}} {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} _{geq 0}}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}(x^{3}-x_{i}^{3})^{2},qquad {text{if }}x_{i}geq 0,forall ,iin {1,dots ,n}}
Generalized mean sqrt[p]{frac{1}{n} cdot sum_{i=1}^n x_{i}^p} {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} _{geq 0}}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}(x^{p}-x_{i}^{p})^{2},qquad {text{if }}x_{i}geq 0,forall ,iin {1,dots ,n}}
Quasi-arithmetic mean {displaystyle f^{-1}left({frac {1}{n}}sum _{k=1}^{n}f(x_{k})right)} {displaystyle {underset {xin operatorname {dom} (f)}{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}(f(x)-f(x_{i}))^{2},qquad {text{if }}f} is monotonic
Weighted mean frac{ sum_{i=1}^n w_i x_i}{sum_{i=1}^n w_i} = frac{w_1 x_1 + w_2 x_2 + cdots + w_n x_n}{w_1 + w_2 + cdots + w_n} {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} }{operatorname {argmin} }},sum _{i=1}^{n}w_{i}(x-x_{i})^{2}}
Truncated mean The arithmetic mean of data values after a certain number or proportion of the highest and lowest data values have been discarded
Interquartile mean A special case of the truncated mean, using the interquartile range. A special case of the inter-quantile truncated mean, which operates on quantiles (often deciles or percentiles) that are equidistant but on opposite sides of the median.
Midrange frac{1}{2}left(max x + min xright) {displaystyle {underset {xin mathbb {R} }{operatorname {argmin} }},{underset {iin {1,dots ,n}}{operatorname {max} }},|x-x_{i}|}
Winsorized mean Similar to the truncated mean, but, rather than deleting the extreme values, they are set equal to the largest and smallest values that remain

The table of mathematical symbols explains the symbols used below.

Miscellaneous types[edit]

Other more sophisticated averages are: trimean, trimedian, and normalized mean, with their generalizations.[1]

One can create one’s own average metric using the generalized f-mean:

y = f^{-1}left(frac{1}{n}left[f(x_1) + f(x_2) + cdots + f(x_n)right]right)

where f is any invertible function. The harmonic mean is an example of this using f(x) = 1/x, and the geometric mean is another, using f(x) = log x.

However, this method for generating means is not general enough to capture all averages. A more general method[2][failed verification] for defining an average takes any function g(x1x2, …, xn) of a list of arguments that is continuous, strictly increasing in each argument, and symmetric (invariant under permutation of the arguments). The average y is then the value that, when replacing each member of the list, results in the same function value: g(y, y, …, y) = g(x1, x2, …, xn). This most general definition still captures the important property of all averages that the average of a list of identical elements is that element itself. The function g(x1, x2, …, xn) = x1+x2+ ··· + xn provides the arithmetic mean. The function g(x1, x2, …, xn) = x1x2···xn (where the list elements are positive numbers) provides the geometric mean. The function g(x1, x2, …, xn) = (x1−1+x2−1+ ··· + xn−1)−1) (where the list elements are positive numbers) provides the harmonic mean.[2]

Average percentage return and CAGR[edit]

A type of average used in finance is the average percentage return. It is an example of a geometric mean. When the returns are annual, it is called the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). For example, if we are considering a period of two years, and the investment return in the first year is −10% and the return in the second year is +60%, then the average percentage return or CAGR, R, can be obtained by solving the equation: (1 − 10%) × (1 + 60%) = (1 − 0.1) × (1 + 0.6) = (1 + R) × (1 + R). The value of R that makes this equation true is 0.2, or 20%. This means that the total return over the 2-year period is the same as if there had been 20% growth each year. The order of the years makes no difference – the average percentage returns of +60% and −10% is the same result as that for −10% and +60%.

This method can be generalized to examples in which the periods are not equal. For example, consider a period of a half of a year for which the return is −23% and a period of two and a half years for which the return is +13%. The average percentage return for the combined period is the single year return, R, that is the solution of the following equation: (1 − 0.23)0.5 × (1 + 0.13)2.5 = (1 + R)0.5+2.5, giving an average return R of 0.0600 or 6.00%.

Moving average[edit]

Given a time series, such as daily stock market prices or yearly temperatures, people often want to create a smoother series.[3] This helps to show underlying trends or perhaps periodic behavior. An easy way to do this is the moving average: one chooses a number n and creates a new series by taking the arithmetic mean of the first n values, then moving forward one place by dropping the oldest value and introducing a new value at the other end of the list, and so on. This is the simplest form of moving average. More complicated forms involve using a weighted average. The weighting can be used to enhance or suppress various periodic behavior and there is very extensive analysis of what weightings to use in the literature on filtering. In digital signal processing the term «moving average» is used even when the sum of the weights is not 1.0 (so the output series is a scaled version of the averages).[4] The reason for this is that the analyst is usually interested only in the trend or the periodic behavior.

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

The first recorded time that the arithmetic mean was extended from 2 to n cases for the use of estimation was in the sixteenth century. From the late sixteenth century onwards, it gradually became a common method to use for reducing errors of measurement in various areas.[5][6] At the time, astronomers wanted to know a real value from noisy measurement, such as the position of a planet or the diameter of the moon. Using the mean of several measured values, scientists assumed that the errors add up to a relatively small number when compared to the total of all measured values. The method of taking the mean for reducing observation errors was indeed mainly developed in astronomy.[5][7] A possible precursor to the arithmetic mean is the mid-range (the mean of the two extreme values), used for example in Arabian astronomy of the ninth to eleventh centuries, but also in metallurgy and navigation.[6]

However, there are various older vague references to the use of the arithmetic mean (which are not as clear, but might reasonably have to do with our modern definition of the mean). In a text from the 4th century, it was written that (text in square brackets is a possible missing text that might clarify the meaning):[8]

In the first place, we must set out in a row the sequence of numbers from the monad up to nine: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Then we must add up the amount of all of them together, and since the row contains nine terms, we must look for the ninth part of the total to see if it is already naturally present among the numbers in the row; and we will find that the property of being [one] ninth [of the sum] only belongs to the [arithmetic] mean itself…

Even older potential references exist. There are records that from about 700 BC, merchants and shippers agreed that damage to the cargo and ship (their «contribution» in case of damage by the sea) should be shared equally among themselves.[7] This might have been calculated using the average, although there seem to be no direct record of the calculation.

Etymology[edit]

The root is found in Arabic as عوار ʿawār, a defect, or anything defective or damaged, including partially spoiled merchandise; and عواري ʿawārī (also عوارة ʿawāra) = «of or relating to ʿawār, a state of partial damage».[9] Within the Western languages the word’s history begins in medieval sea-commerce on the Mediterranean. 12th and 13th century Genoa Latin avaria meant «damage, loss and non-normal expenses arising in connection with a merchant sea voyage»; and the same meaning for avaria is in Marseille in 1210, Barcelona in 1258 and Florence in the late 13th.[10] 15th-century French avarie had the same meaning, and it begot English «averay» (1491) and English «average» (1502) with the same meaning. Today, Italian avaria, Catalan avaria and French avarie still have the primary meaning of «damage». The huge transformation of the meaning in English began with the practice in later medieval and early modern Western merchant-marine law contracts under which if the ship met a bad storm and some of the goods had to be thrown overboard to make the ship lighter and safer, then all merchants whose goods were on the ship were to suffer proportionately (and not whoever’s goods were thrown overboard); and more generally there was to be proportionate distribution of any avaria. From there the word was adopted by British insurers, creditors, and merchants for talking about their losses as being spread across their whole portfolio of assets and having a mean proportion. Today’s meaning developed out of that, and started in the mid-18th century, and started in English.[10] [1].

Marine damage is either particular average, which is borne only by the owner of the damaged property, or general average, where the owner can claim a proportional contribution from all the parties to the marine venture. The type of calculations used in adjusting general average gave rise to the use of «average» to mean «arithmetic mean».

A second English usage, documented as early as 1674 and sometimes spelled «averish», is as the residue and second growth of field crops, which were considered suited to consumption by draught animals («avers»).[11]

There is earlier (from at least the 11th century), unrelated use of the word. It appears to be an old legal term for a tenant’s day labour obligation to a sheriff, probably anglicised from «avera» found in the English Domesday Book (1085).

The Oxford English Dictionary, however, says that derivations from German hafen haven, and Arabic ʿawâr loss, damage, have been «quite disposed of» and the word has a Romance origin.[12]

Averages as a rhetorical tool[edit]

Due to the aforementioned colloquial nature of the term «average», the term can be used to obfuscate the true meaning of data and suggest varying answers to questions based on the averaging method (most frequently arithmetic mean, median, or mode) used. In his article «Framed for Lying: Statistics as In/Artistic Proof», University of Pittsburgh faculty member Daniel Libertz comments that statistical information is frequently dismissed from rhetorical arguments for this reason.[13] However, due to their persuasive power, averages and other statistical values should not be discarded completely, but instead used and interpreted with caution. Libertz invites us to engage critically not only with statistical information such as averages, but also with the language used to describe the data and its uses, saying: «If statistics rely on interpretation, rhetors should invite their audience to interpret rather than insist on an interpretation.»[13] In many cases, data and specific calculations are provided to help facilitate this audience-based interpretation.

See also[edit]

  • Average absolute deviation
  • Law of averages
  • Expected value
  • Central limit theorem
  • Population mean
  • Sample mean

References[edit]

  1. ^ Merigo, Jose M.; Cananovas, Montserrat (2009). «The Generalized Hybrid Averaging Operator and its Application in Decision Making». Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration. 9: 69–84. ISSN 1886-516X.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b Bibby, John (1974). «Axiomatisations of the average and a further generalisation of monotonic sequences». Glasgow Mathematical Journal. 15: 63–65. doi:10.1017/s0017089500002135.
  3. ^ Box, George E.P.; Jenkins, Gwilym M. (1976). Time Series Analysis: Forecasting and Control (revised ed.). Holden-Day. ISBN 0816211043.
  4. ^ Haykin, Simon (1986). Adaptive Filter Theory. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0130040525.
  5. ^ a b Plackett, R. L. (1958). «Studies in the History of Probability and Statistics: VII. The Principle of the Arithmetic Mean». Biometrika. 45 (1/2): 130–135. doi:10.2307/2333051. JSTOR 2333051.
  6. ^ a b Eisenhart, Churchill. «The development of the concept of the best mean of a set of measurements from antiquity to the present day.» Unpublished presidential address, American Statistical Association, 131st Annual Meeting, Fort Collins, Colorado. 1971.
  7. ^ a b Bakker, Arthur. «The early history of average values and implications for education.» Journal of Statistics Education 11.1 (2003): 17-26.
  8. ^ «Waterfield, Robin. «The theology of arithmetic.» On the Mystical, mathematical and Cosmological Symbolism of the First Ten Number (1988). page 70″ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  9. ^ Medieval Arabic had عور ʿawr meaning «blind in one eye» and عوار ʿawār meant «any defect, or anything defective or damaged». Some medieval Arabic dictionaries are at Baheth.info Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, and some translation to English of what’s in the medieval Arabic dictionaries is in Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon, pages 2193 and 2195. The medieval dictionaries do not list the word-form عوارية ʿawārīa. ʿAwārīa can be naturally formed in Arabic grammar to refer to things that have ʿawār, but in practice in medieval Arabic texts ʿawārīa is a rarity or non-existent, while the forms عواري ʿawārī and عوارة ʿawāra are frequently used when referring to things that have ʿawār or damage – this can be seen in the searchable collection of medieval texts at AlWaraq.net (book links are clickable on righthand side).
  10. ^ a b The Arabic origin of avaria was first reported by Reinhart Dozy in the 19th century. Dozy’s original summary is in his 1869 book Glossaire. Summary information about the word’s early records in Italian-Latin, Italian, Catalan, and French is at avarie @ CNRTL.fr Archived 2019-01-06 at the Wayback Machine. The seaport of Genoa is the location of the earliest-known record in European languages, year 1157. A set of medieval Latin records of avaria at Genoa is in the downloadable lexicon Vocabolario Ligure, by Sergio Aprosio, year 2001, avaria in Volume 1 pages 115-116. Many more records in medieval Latin at Genoa are at StoriaPatriaGenova.it, usually in the plurals avariis and avarias. At the port of Marseille in the 1st half of the 13th century notarized commercial contracts have dozens of instances of Latin avariis (ablative plural of avaria), as published in Blancard year 1884. Some information about the English word over the centuries is at NED (year 1888). See also the definition of English «average» in English dictionaries published in the early 18th century, i.e., in the time period just before the big transformation of the meaning: Kersey-Phillips’ dictionary (1706), Blount’s dictionary (1707 edition), Hatton’s dictionary (1712), Bailey’s dictionary (1726), Martin’s dictionary (1749). Some complexities surrounding the English word’s history are discussed in Hensleigh Wedgwood year 1882 page 11 and Walter Skeat year 1888 page 781. Today there is consensus that: (#1) today’s English «average» descends from medieval Italian avaria, Catalan avaria, and (#2) among the Latins the word avaria started in the 12th century and it started as a term of Mediterranean sea-commerce, and (#3) there is no root for avaria to be found in Latin, and (#4) a substantial number of Arabic words entered Italian, Catalan and Provençal in the 12th and 13th centuries starting as terms of Mediterranean sea-commerce, and (#5) the Arabic ʿawār | ʿawārī is phonetically a good match for avaria, as conversion of w to v was regular in Latin and Italian, and -ia is a suffix in Italian, and the Western word’s earliest records are in Italian-speaking locales (writing in Latin). And most commentators agree that (#6) the Arabic ʿawār | ʿawārī = «damage | relating to damage» is semantically a good match for avaria = «damage or damage expenses». A minority of commentators have been dubious about this on the grounds that the early records of Italian-Latin avaria have, in some cases, a meaning of «an expense» in a more general sense – see TLIO (in Italian). The majority view is that the meaning of «an expense» was an expansion from «damage and damage expense», and the chronological order of the meanings in the records supports this view, and the broad meaning «an expense» was never the most commonly used meaning. On the basis of the above points, the inferential step is made that the Latinate word came or probably came from the Arabic word.
  11. ^ Ray, John (1674). A Collection of English Words Not Generally Used. London: H. Bruges. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  12. ^ «average, n.2». OED Online. September 2019. Oxford University Press. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/13681 (accessed September 05, 2019).
  13. ^ a b Libertz, Daniel (2018-12-31). «Framed for Lying: Statistics as In/Artistic Proof». Res Rhetorica. 5 (4). doi:10.29107/rr2018.4.1. ISSN 2392-3113.

External links[edit]

Look up average in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

  • Median as a weighted arithmetic mean of all Sample Observations
  • Calculations and comparison between arithmetic and geometric mean of two values

средний, обычный, среднее число, составлять

прилагательное

- средний

average temperature — средняя температура
average rainfall — средняя норма выпадения осадков
average life — средняя продолжительность жизни

- обычный, нормальный, средний

average man [ability] — средний человек [-ие способности]
average reader — рядовой /широкий/ читатель
a man of average height — человек среднего роста

- посредственный

there was nothing special about his performance, it was only average — в его исполнении не было ничего особенного, оно было весьма средним
boys of average intelligence — ребята, не хватающие звёзд с неба /средних способностей/

существительное

- среднее (число)

above [below] the average — выше [ниже] среднего
his work is about /up to/ the average — его работа не хуже и не лучше, чем у других
on an /the/ average — в среднем
to translate on an average five pages a day — переводить в среднем пять страниц в день
to ascertain /to determine, to obtain/ the average — выводить среднее

- мат. среднее арифметическое
- авария (убытки, причинённые судну, грузу и фрахту)

general [particular, petty] average — общая [частная, малая] авария

- распределение убытков от аварии между владельцами груза, судна

average adjuster — диспашер
average statement — диспаша

глагол

- составлять, достигать, равняться в среднем

his wages average 60 pounds — его заработок составляет в среднем 60 фунтов
they averaged 100 miles a day — они делали в среднем 100 миль в день

- мат. выводить среднее значение, усреднять
- бирж. последовательно скупать или продавать акции по мере изменения их курса

to average down [up] — скупать акции по мере снижения [повышения] их курса

- страх. распределять убыток между акционерами

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

of average height for his age — среднего роста для своего возраста  
a man of average build — человек среднего телосложения  
below the average — ниже среднего  
daily average — среднесуточный  
average earnings — средняя прибыль  
to adjust the average — составлять диспашу  
average output — средняя производительность  
at the average close rate — по среднему заключительному курсу  
above average stature — выше среднего роста  
average attendance — средняя посещаемость  
average woman — обычная женщина  
average cost — средняя стоимость  

Примеры с переводом

She was an average student.

Она была обычной студенткой.

He is about average in height.

Роста он примерно среднего.

Last winter was colder than average.

Прошлая зима была холоднее обычной.

On average, women live longer than men.

В среднем, женщины живут дольше, чем мужчины.

Smart children talk earlier than the average.

Одарённые дети начинают разговаривать раньше, чем среднестатистические.

They view on average for thirteen hours a week.

Они смотрят телевизор в среднем тринадцать часов в неделю.

In an average week I drive about 250 miles.

В среднем за неделю я проезжаю около двухсот пятидесяти миль.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Shares had a bumpy ride yesterday, falling by an average of 15%.

The December figures brought the annual average for 2001 up to 10.6 per cent.

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке , напротив примера.

Фразовые глаголы

average out — вычислять среднюю величину, составить среднюю величину

Возможные однокоренные слова

averaged  — составлять, равняться в среднем, выводить среднее число

Формы слова

verb
I/you/we/they: average
he/she/it: averages
ing ф. (present participle): averaging
2-я ф. (past tense): averaged
3-я ф. (past participle): averaged

noun
ед. ч.(singular): average
мн. ч.(plural): averages

Recent Examples on the Web



An average of four chargers will be installed per store, Reuters reports.


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Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits introduced during the pandemic expired at the end of February, leaving roughly 600,000 to 700,000 Marylanders who receive food assistance short an average of $82 per month.


Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2023





The Hawks score an average of 118.4 points per game, 8.6 more points than the 109.8 the Heat allow to opponents.


Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2023





Each battery can hold more than 3 MWh of energy—or about enough juice to power an average of 3,600 homes for one hour.


Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2023





From 2009 to 2018, such labs reported an average of 98 incidents annually, ranging from minor problems with protective gear to exposures from accidental jabs with contaminated needles, according to CDC records.


Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023





Last week, the volcano registered an unprecedented average of 6,000 earthquakes per day, likely caused by magma moving through the main fault system, says Colombia’s Geological Service (CGS).


Chris Morris, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2023





Esaad closed on eight units Oct. 27 and another eight on Nov. 11, paying nearly $7.7 million for the 16 units — or an average of nearly $480,000 each, a bankruptcy document show.


Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Apr. 2023





Separate research Nagata has worked on indicates gay youths use screens an average of nearly four hours a day more than straight kids.


Dan Avery, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2023




Residents of Nantucket county were found to have a life expectancy of 83 years, almost 6 years longer than residents of Hampden County, which includes Springfield and Holyoke, who lived on average to 77.4, researchers found.


Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023





Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, pointed out that, in her state, those sessions have lasted, on average, less than six minutes.


E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2023





But women also earn less than men, on average—and women of color earn even less—and live longer.


Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2023





In fact, the vast majority of results — 96%, on average — were eventually submitted to the database.


Ed Silverman, STAT, 29 Mar. 2023





Black male offenders on average receive sentences 19.1% longer than white male offenders in similar cases, according to a 2017 study from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.


Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2023





Since December, carwash workers have lost, on average, half of their usual pay due to the rains, Gonzalez said.


Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2023





Another could force communities to allow at least 50 homes per acre on average to be built within a half-mile of many Long Island Railroad and Metro-North stations.


Michael D. Regan, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023





According to an analysis of fiscal year 2021, the attrition rate for entry-level federal employees under 30 was close to 12 percent on average, according to data from Fed Scope.


Andrew Zaleski, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2023




Senior Veronica Puckett is batting .609 (14-for-23) with 15 runs scored and sophomore Jaylene Mieres averages .667 (12-for-18) with 13 RBI for the Wolves.


J.c. Carnahan, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2023





The work hour regulations went into effect July 2011, noting residents could only work a maximum of 80 hours per week averaged over a four-week period, per ACGME.


Shiv Sudhakar, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2023





The high-scoring Red Stockings averaged 42 runs a game.


Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2023





The series became a global sensation, averaging 24 million viewers in the U.S., spawning several international spin-offs (and arguably the whole Real Housewives franchise), and returning the likes of Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman to the limelight.


Erik Maza, Town & Country, 29 Mar. 2023





On the year, Cryer averaged 15 points per game and two assists while shooting 41.5% from deep.


Michael Haag, Dallas News, 29 Mar. 2023





The 34-year-old has averaged 26.7 points and 7.3 rebounds (69.0% shooting) in three games with the Suns.


Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2023





Last year, regular-season games averaged 3:03.


Jaylon Thompson, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2023





In 29 games this season, Winslow has averaged 6.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists.


Afentres, oregonlive, 29 Mar. 2023



See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘average.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Meaning Average

What does Average mean? Here you find 73 meanings of the word Average. You can also add a definition of Average yourself

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An arithmetic mean return of selected stocks intended to represent the behavior of the market or some component of it. One good example is the widely quoted Dow Jones Industrial Average, which adds th [..]

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Average

The number obtained by dividing the sum of a set of numbers by the number of addends.

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Average

1770; see average (n.).

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Average

1769, from average (n.). Related: Averaged; averaging.

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Average

late 15c., «financial loss incurred through damage to goods in transit,» from French avarie «damage to ship,» and Italian avaria; a word from 12c. Mediterranean maritime trade (com [..]

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Average

An average is a measure used to find the location of the middle (central tendency) of a data set. • Mean, median and mode are all types of averages. • Often the word average refers to the mean.

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Average

See Marine Cargo Insurance

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Average

A number that represents the characteristics of a data set.

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Average

ordinary.

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Average

to calculate the middle amount among a group of numbers.

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Average

Same as arithmetic mean. In a very broad sense, any number lying between the extremes of a set of numbers. Compare Reynolds averaging, ensemble average, area average, mean, ergodic.

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Average

A stock market average is a mathematical way of reporting the composite change in prices of the stocks that the average includes. Each average is designed to reflect the general movement of the broad market or a certain segment of the market and often serves as a benchmark for the performance of individual stocks in its sphere. A true average adds [..]

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Average

in acoustics where dB levels are extensively used, average may not mean adding up the values and then dividing by the number of samples. See our discussion Calculations using the decibel and the other [..]

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Average

approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value; "the average income in New England is below that of the nation"; "of average height for his age& [..]

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Average

A sometimes vague term. It usually denotes the arithmetic mean, but it can also denote the median, the mode, the geometric mean, and weighted means, among other things.

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Average

A number that represents the characteristics of a data set, calculated by adding a group of numbers then dividing by the number of elements in that group.

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Average

Definition An arithmetic mean of a group of stocks designed to represent the overall market or some part of it, differing from an index in that it is not weighted. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is [..]

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Average

The average is the result of dividing the sum of two or more quantities by the number of quantities. Example: (a + b + c)/3 = the average. See also mean.

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Average

durkhshnitlekh

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Average

durkshnit

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Average

median

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Average

In mathematics, there are numerous methods for calculating the average or central tendency of a list of numbers. The most common method, and the one generally referred to simply as the average, is the arithmetic mean. Please see the table of mathematical symbols for explanations of the symbols used.

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Average

A value to best represent a set of data. There are three type of average — the mean, the median and the mode.

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Average

The average is the total of all pieces added up and divided by the number of pieces. Scientists use the word average to explain entire systems. Even though there are a few pieces with very high number [..]

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Average

See Marine Cargo Insurance

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Average

[noun] In statistics, average commonly refers to the arithmetic mean, also called simply «mean,» which is one measure of the mid-point of a dataset. See mean for more details. Appears in modules:

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Average

A single value (mean, median, mode) representing the typical, normal, or middle value of a set of data.

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A number worked out by adding several quantities together and dividing the total by the number of quantities.

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Average

A student’s grade average is calculated by adding up the final marks of his/her courses and dividing the total by the number of courses.

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Average

It is better to avoid this sometimes vague term. It usually refers to the (arithmetic) mean, but it can also signify the median, the mode, the geometric mean, and weighted means, among other things axiom

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Average

Apportionment of loss on an equitable basis.

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Mean of some chosen stocks that are designed to represent market behavior or behavior of a component of the market. For example, Dow Jones Industrial Average.

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A term used to describe typical or representative members of a group. In mathematical terms, it refers to the result obtained when a set of numbers is added together, then divided by the number of items in the set.

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Average

The term average can mean the usual, typical or ordinary level. Average can be a value which represents a broad sample of subjects. In mathematics, average refers to the median or mean of a series. In [..]

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You might think about the simplest coding task in the world would be to compute the average of two positive integers, rounded The catch is as you can see from the program, some very simple code to com [..]

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Average

Also known as an index, it is the mathematical calculation that indicates the value of a group of securities. Some of the most famous averages include the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500, and the New York Stock Exchange Composite.

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Life:

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Average

(n) a statistic describing the location of a distribution(n) (sports) the ratio of successful performances to opportunities(n) an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual(v) amount to [..]

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Average

The distribution of loss resulting from damage to a ship or cargo. Unless they could show otherwise, crews were held responsible for damage to the ship or its cargo and had the costs deducted from the [..]

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Average

In statistics, an average (or mean) of a set of data is a measure of the central tendency of the set. There are different statistical measurements that can be used to depict central tendency of the set. The My School website refers to an average as the middle of a set in two ways: In measuring student performance results in a NAPLAN test, the arith [..]

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Average

See Marine Cargo Insurance

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In marine insurance: a loss or damage to or in respect of goods or equipment. The numerical result obtained by dividing the sum of two or more quantities by the number of quantities. See General Average.

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A common marine insurance term. An early meaning (c.1500) of the word average is ‘damage sustained at sea’. The root is found in Arabic as awar, in Italian as avaria and in French as avarie. [..]

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Any partial loss or damage, due to insured perils.

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In insurance, ’average’ has several meanings, depending upon the context in which the word is used. You are most likely to encounter this word when you suffer a property damage loss. If a policy i [..]

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The loss of a ship or cargo caused by damage at sea.

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In marine insurance: a loss or damage to or in respect of goods or equipment.

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Average

Any partial loss or damage due to insured perils.

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‘Average’ has several meanings in the insurance industry.

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A clause in insurance policies whereby, in the event of under-insurance, the claim paid out by the insurer is restricted to the same proportion of the loss as the sum insured under the policy bears to [..]

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A condition in a non-marine property insurance that if the property value has been understated the insured’s claim is reduced proportionately to the understatement.

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A marine partial loss. This can be particular average or general average (see below). AVERAGE CLAUSE

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Where the sum insured for property is less than the cost of replacing the whole of that insured property as new, a condition of average will be applied. This means that the amount an insurer will pay in the event a claim occurring will be reduced in proportion to the amount of underinsurance.

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Average

A clause in non-marine insurance policies whereby in the event of under insurance the claim paid out by the insurer is restricted to the same proportion of the loss as the sum insured under the policy [..]

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A partial loss. This can be particular average or general average (which see).

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If the policy is subject to an Average clause, which is usually the case, and the Sum Insured is less than the total value of the property insured at the time of loss, the claim will be reduced in the [..]

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Also known as co-insurance, a clause which allows an insurer to reduce the amount of an insurance claim, in proportion to the level of any under insurance.

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Average motion is somewhere between twitchy and sloshy. It will be different for every craft based on its use. Some glide is good, and some ability to react quickly to an obstacle is good. Finding the [..]

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The number found by dividing the sum of all quantities by the total number of quantities.

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A number obtained by adding quantities or measurements and dividing the sum or total by the number of quantities or measurements. Also called the arithmetic mean.

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the "middle" of a data set. For example, if your test scores are 75, 92, 90, 83, and 89, your average score is 85.8 [(75 + 92 + 90 + 83 + 89) / 5]. An average is also known as a mea [..]

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See MEAN.

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To determine a mean.

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the mean (arithmetic average) score on one deal, or over one session, in a duplicate bridge contest

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A statistic which describes some facet of a player’s performance.  Examples are batting average, slugging average, earned run average, and fielding average.  Refer to the statistics page for th [..]

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Average

The average or mean can be calculated in a number of ways: A. The arithmetic average / mean consists of the sum of a series of quantities divided by the number of quantities. When the term average or [..]

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The sum of n numbers divided by n.

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The population weighted average of the column values. The average

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in marine insurance it means a partial loss; in the event of a claim there are two types of average namely general average and particular average

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An arithmetic mean return of selected stocks intended to represent the behavior of the market or some component of it. One good example is the widely quoted Dow Jones Industrial Average, which adds th [..]

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Average

In colloquial language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers. Different concepts of average are used in different contexts. Often «average» refers to the arithmet [..]

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Average

In colloquial language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers. Different concepts of average are used in different contexts. Often «average» refers to the arithmet [..]

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Average

A clause in an insurance contract which restricts the amount of a claim paid out by an insurer where the sum insured at the time of a loss is less than the insurable value of the insured item (i.e. is underinsured). The value of the claim will be reduced in proportion to the amount the item is underinsured, in order to reflect the underinsurance.

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English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle French avarie, from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria (which is possibly from Arabic عَوَارِيَّة(ʕawāriyya, damaged goods), from عَوَار(ʕawār, fault, blemish, defect, flaw), from عَوِرَ(ʕawira, to lose an eye)) + English suffix -age.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation, US) enPR: ăvʹərĭj, ăvʹrĭj IPA(key): /ˈævəɹɪd͡ʒ/, /ˈævɹɪd͡ʒ/

Noun[edit]

average (plural averages)

  1. (mathematics) The arithmetic mean.
    • 2013 June 1, “Towards the end of poverty”, in The Economist[1], volume 407, number 8838, page 11:

      But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 (the average of the 15 poorest countries’ own poverty lines, measured in 2005 dollars and adjusted for differences in purchasing power): people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short.

    The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18.

  2. (statistics) Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode. [from c. 1735]
  3. (law, marine) Financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss. [from 15th c.]
    • 2008, Filiberto Agusti, Beverley Earle, Richard Schaffer, Filiberto Agusti, Beverley Earle, International Business Law and Its Environment, page 219,
      Historically, the courts have allowed a general average claim only where the loss occurred as a result of the ship being in immediate peril. [] The court awarded the carrier the general average claim. It noted that “a ship′s master should not be discouraged from taking timely action to avert a disaster,” and need not be in actual peril to claim general average.
  4. Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.
  5. Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.
  6. (sports) An indication of a player’s ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.

    batting average

Usage notes[edit]
  • (mathematics, statistics): The term average may refer to the statistical mean, median or mode of a batch, sample, or distribution, or sometimes any other measure of central tendency. Statisticians and responsible news sources are careful to use whichever of these specific terms is appropriate. In common usage, average refers to the arithmetic mean. It is, however, a common rhetorical trick to call the most favorable of mean, median and mode the «average» depending on the interpretation of a set of figures that the speaker or writer wants to promote.
Coordinate terms[edit]
  • (measure of central tendency): arithmetic mean, geometric mean, harmonic mean, mean, median, mode
Derived terms[edit]
  • above average
  • arithmetic average
  • average atomic mass
  • averager
  • batting average
  • below average
  • bowling average
  • earned run average
  • general average
  • goal average
  • grade point average
  • height above average terrain
  • law of averages
  • moving average
  • national average
  • on average
  • particular average
  • rolling average
  • slugging average
  • subaverage
  • time average
  • weighted average
  • weighted-average cost of capital
  • z-average
Translations[edit]

arithmetic mean

  • Armenian: միջին (hy) (miǰin)
  • Bhojpuri: औसत (ausat)
  • Bulgarian: средно число (sredno čislo)
  • Catalan: mitjana (ca) f
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 平均 (ping4 gwan1)
    Mandarin: 平均 (zh) (píngjūn)
  • Czech: průměr (cs) m
  • Danish: gennemsnit (da) n, middelværdi (da) c
  • Dutch: gemiddelde (nl) n
  • Esperanto: meznombro, aritmetika meznombro
  • Faroese: miðaltal n
  • Finnish: keskiarvo (fi)
  • French: moyenne (fr) f
  • Georgian: საშუალო (sašualo)
  • German: Durchschnitt (de) m, arithmetisches Mittel n, Mittelwert (de) m
  • Greek: μέσος όρος m (mésos óros)
    Ancient: μεσότης f (mesótēs)
  • Greenlandic: agguaqatigiissitaq
  • Hebrew: ממוצע (he) m (memutza)
  • Hungarian: átlag (hu)
  • Icelandic: meðaltal n
  • Italian: media (it) f
  • Japanese: 平均 (ja) (へいきん, heikin)
  • Korean: 평균 (ko) (pyeonggyun)
  • Malay: purata (ms), pukul rata (ms), hitung panjang, rerata, rata-rata
  • Malayalam: ശരാശരി (ml) (śarāśari)
  • Maori: toharite, tau toharite
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: gjennomsnitt n, middeltall
    Nynorsk: gjennomsnitt n, medeltal
  • Plautdietsch: Derchschnett m
  • Polish: średnia (pl)
  • Portuguese: média (pt) f
  • Romanian: medie (ro) f
  • Russian: сре́днее (ru) n (srédneje)
  • Scottish Gaelic: meadhan m, cuibheasachd f, cuibheas m
  • Serbo-Croatian: prosjek (sh) m, prosek (sh) m
    Cyrillic: про̏сјечан / про̏сечан
    Roman: prȍsječan (sh) / prȍsečan
  • Slovak: priemer m
  • Spanish: promedio (es) m, media (es)
  • Swedish: genomsnitt (sv) n, medeltal (sv) n
  • Telugu: సగటు (te) (sagaṭu), సరాసరి (te) (sarāsari)
  • Ukrainian: сере́днє (serédnje)

any measure of central tendency

  • Arabic: مُعَدَّل‎ m (muʕaddal)
    Egyptian Arabic: مُتَوَسِّط‎ m (mutawasseṭ), معدل‎ m (mu’adal)
  • Bulgarian: средно (bg) n (sredno)
  • Finnish: keskiarvo (fi)
  • Japanese: 平均 (ja) (へいきん, heikin)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: ڕادەی ئاسایی(radey asayî)
  • Plautdietsch: Derchschnett m
  • Scottish Gaelic: meadhan m
  • Telugu: సగటు (te) (sagaṭu), సరాసరి (te) (sarāsari)

Adjective[edit]

average (comparative more average, superlative most average)

  1. (not comparable) Constituting or relating to the average.

    The average age of the participants was 18.5.

  2. Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.

    I soon found I was only an average chess player.

  3. Typical.
    • 2002, Andy Turnbull, The Synthetic Beast: When Corporations Come to Life, page 12,
      We tend to think that exceptionally attractive men and women are outstanding but the fact is that they are more average than most.
    • 2004, Deirdre V. Lovecky, Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits, page 75,
      Things that never would occur to more average children, with and without AD/HD, will give these children nightmares.
    • 2009, Susan T. Fiske, Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology, page 73,
      In other words, highly attractive people like highly attractive communicators and more average people like more average communicators.

    The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product.

  4. (informal) Not outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor.
    • 2002, Andy Slaven, Video Game Bible, 1985-2002, page 228,
      The graphics, sound, and most everything else are all very average. However, the main thing that brings this game down are the controls — they feel very clumsy and awkward at times.
    • 2005, Brad Knight, Laci Peterson: The Whole Story: Laci, Scott, and Amber’s Deadly Love Triangle, page 308,
      But what the vast majority of the populace doesn′t realise is the fact that he′s only on TV because he became famous from one case, Winona Ryder’s, which, by the way, he lost because he′s only a very average attorney.
    • 2009, Carn Tiernan, On the Back of the Other Side, page 62,
      In the piano stool there was a stack of music, mostly sentimental ballads intended to be sung by people with very average voices accompanied by not very competent pianists.
Synonyms[edit]
  • (constituting or relating to the average): av., ave., avg., expectation (colloquial), mean
  • (neither very good nor very bad): mediocre, medium, middle-ranking, middling, unremarkable, so-so, comme ci comme ça
  • (typical): conventional, normal, regular, standard, typical, usual, bog-standard (slang)
  • (not outstanding, not good; bad or poor): ordinary, uninspiring
Antonyms[edit]
  • (neither very good nor very bad): extraordinary
Derived terms[edit]
  • average bear
  • average frustrated chump
  • average Joe
  • averagely
  • averageness
  • daily average revenue trades
Translations[edit]

constituting or relating to the average

  • Arabic: مُتَوَسِّط(mutawassiṭ), مُعَدَّل(muʕaddal)
  • Armenian: միջին (hy) (miǰin)
  • Belarusian: сярэ́дні (be) (sjarédni)
  • Bulgarian: среден (bg) (sreden)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 平均 (zh) (píngjūn)
  • Czech: průměrný (cs) m
  • Danish: gennemsnitlig
  • Dutch: gemiddelde (nl)
  • Esperanto: mezgranda
  • Finnish: keskimääräinen (fi)
  • French: moyen (fr) m
  • Galician: media f
  • German: durchschnittlich (de)
  • Greek:
    Ancient: μέτριος (métrios)
  • Hungarian: átlagos (hu)
  • Irish: meánach, meán-, coitianta, gnách
  • Italian: medio (it) m, media (it) f
  • Japanese: 平均 (ja) (へいきん, heikin)
  • Korean: 평균의 (ko) (pyeonggyunui)
  • Latin: mediocris (la)
  • Macedonian: просечен (prosečen)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: gjennomsnittlig, middels
    Nynorsk: gjennomsnittleg, middels
  • Old English: medume
  • Persian: متوسط (fa) (motavasset, motevasset)
  • Polish: średni (pl) m
  • Portuguese: médio (pt) f, média (pt) f
  • Romanian: mediu (ro), mijlociu (ro)
  • Russian: сре́дний (ru) (srédnij)
  • Scottish Gaelic: meadhanach, cuibheasach
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: про̏сјечан / про̏сечан
    Roman: prȍsječan (sh) / prȍsečan
  • Slovak: priemerný
  • Slovene: povprečen (sl)
  • Spanish: medio (es)
  • Swedish: genomsnittlig (sv)
  • Tagalog: balasak
  • Telugu: సగటు (te) (sagaṭu)
  • Thai: โดยเฉลี่ย (dooi-chà-lìia)
  • Ukrainian: сере́дній (serédnij)
  • Vietnamese: trung bình (vi)
  • Welsh: canolog (cy)

neither very good nor very bad

  • Armenian: միջին (hy) (miǰin)
  • Bulgarian: среден (bg) (sreden)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 一般 (zh) (yībān)
  • Czech: průměrný (cs) m
  • Finnish: keskinkertainen (fi), keskimääräinen (fi)
  • Greek:
    Ancient: μέτριος (métrios)
  • Hungarian: átlagos (hu)
  • Japanese: 平凡な (ja) (へいぼんな, heibon-na)
  • Latin: mediocris (la)
  • Norman: pâssabl’ye m or f
  • Old English: medeme
  • Polish: przeciętny (pl) m
  • Portuguese: equilibrado (pt) m
  • Russian: сре́дний (ru) (srédnij), обы́чный (ru) (obýčnyj)
  • Scottish Gaelic: meadhanach, cuibheasach
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: про̏сјечан / про̏сечан
    Roman: prȍsječan (sh) / prȍsečan
  • Slovak: priemerný
  • Slovene: navaden
  • Spanish: ni fu ni fa (es), promedio (es), mediocre (es)
  • Telugu: మోస్తరు (te) (mōstaru)

typical

  • Armenian: միջին (hy) (miǰin)
  • Bulgarian: нормален (bg) (normalen), обикновен (bg) (obiknoven)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 普通 (zh) (pǔtōng)
  • Czech: průměrný (cs) m
  • Finnish: tavallinen (fi), tyypillinen (fi)
  • French: moyen (fr)
  • Hungarian: (as a prefix in compounds) átlag- (hu)
  • Japanese: 平凡な (ja) (へいぼんな, heibon-na), 普通の (ja) (ふつうの, futsū-no)
  • Old English: medeme
  • Polish: przeciętny (pl) m
  • Russian: обыкнове́нный (ru) (obyknovénnyj), обы́чный (ru) (obýčnyj), среднестатисти́ческий (ru) (srednestatistíčeskij)
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: про̏сјечан / про̏сечан
    Roman: prȍsječan (sh) / prȍsečan
  • Spanish: común y corriente
  • Swedish: typisk (sv)
  • Telugu: సగటు (te) (sagaṭu)
  • Ukrainian: пересічний (peresičnyj), середньостатисти́чний (serednʹostatystýčnyj)

Verb[edit]

average (third-person singular simple present averages, present participle averaging, simple past and past participle averaged)

  1. (transitive) To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.
    If you average 10, 20 and 24, you get 18.
  2. (transitive) Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.

    The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C.

    I averaged 75% in my examinations this year.

    • 1961 November, “Talking of Trains: The roller-bearing A1s”, in Trains Illustrated, page 643:

      The five roller-bearing A1s are now averaging 120,000 miles between shopping; this figure is an improvement of about 50 per cent on the norm of other ex-L.N.E. Pacific types.

  3. (transitive) To divide among a number, according to a given proportion.
    to average a loss
  4. (intransitive) To be, generally or on average.
    • 1872 Elliott Coues, Key to North American Birds
      Gulls average much larger than terns, with stouter build []
Derived terms[edit]
  • average down
  • average out
  • average up
  • averageable
  • unaveraged
Translations[edit]

to have or generate a mean value of

  • Bulgarian: усреднявам (usrednjavam)

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English average, from Medieval Latin averagium, from aver (horse or other beast of burden, service required from the same) from Old English eafor (obligation to carry goods and convey messages for one’s lord) from aferian (to remove, take away); + -age.

Noun[edit]

average (plural averages)

  1. (UK, law, obsolete) The service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.

German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English average.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): [ˈævəɹɪd͡ʒ], [ˈɛvəʁɪtʃ]
  • Hyphenation: ave‧rage

Adjective[edit]

average (indeclinable)

  1. (dated, business) average

Further reading[edit]

  • “average” in Duden online
  • “average” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

The Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch derives the word from Old French aver +‎ -age, where aver means «cattle» and is cognate to English aver (work-horse, working ox, or other beast of burden).[1] The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) compares it to Medieval Latin averagium, from averia (beast of burden) (which the Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch in turn links to habeō (to have)).

Noun[edit]

average m (plural averages)

  1. average (service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.)

References[edit]

  • average on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)
  • Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (average)
  1. ^ Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “habere”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 4: G H I, page 363

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