average Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a statistic describing the location of a distribution
    norm.
    • it set the norm for American homes
  2. noun (sports) the ratio of successful performances to opportunities
  3. noun an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual
    • he is about average in height
    • the snowfall this month is below average
  4. verb amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain
    average out.
    • The number of hours I work per work averages out to 40
  5. verb achieve or reach on average
    • He averaged a C
  6. verb compute the average of
    average out.
  7. adjective satellite approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
    mean.
    • the average income in New England is below that of the nation
    • of average height for his age
    • the mean annual rainfall
  8. adjective satellite lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered
    ordinary.
    • average people
    • the ordinary (or common) man in the street
  9. adjective satellite lacking exceptional quality or ability
    middling; mediocre; fair.
    • a novel of average merit
    • only a fair performance of the sonata
    • in fair health
    • the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average
    • the performance was middling at best
  10. adjective satellite around the middle of a scale of evaluation
    intermediate; medium.
    • an orange of average size
    • intermediate capacity
    • medium bombers
  11. adjective satellite relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution
    modal.
    • the modal age at which American novelists reach their peak is 30
  12. adjective satellite relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in a set with an even number of values)
    median.
    • the median value of 17, 20, and 36 is 20
    • the median income for the year was $15,000

WordNet

Av"er*age noun
Etymology
OF. average, LL. averagium, prob. fr. OF. aver, F. avoir, property, horses, cattle, etc.; prop. infin., to have, from L. habere to have. Cf. F. avérage small cattle, and avarie (perh. of different origin) damage to ship or cargo, port dues. The first meaning was pe the service of carting a feudal lord's wheat, then charge for carriage, the contribution towards loss of things carried, in proportion to the amount of each person's property. Cf. Aver, n., Avercorn, Averpenny.
Definitions
  1. (OLd Eng. Law) That service which a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the work beasts of the tenant, as the carriage of wheat, turf, etc.
  2. Cf. F. avarie damage to ship or cargo. (Com.) (a) A tariff or duty on goods, etc. Obs. (b) Any charge in addition to the regular charge for freight of goods shipped. (c) A contribution to a loss or charge which has been imposed upon one of several for the general benefit; damage done by sea perils. (d) The equitable and proportionate distribution of loss or expense among all interested.
  3. A mean proportion, medial sum or quantity, made out of unequal sums or quantities; an arithmetical mean. Thus, if A loses 5 dollars, B 9, and C 16, the sum is 30, and the average 10.
  4. Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc. "The average of sensations." Paley.
  5. pl. In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.
Av"er*age adjective
Definitions
  1. Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the average stamp.
  2. According to the laws of averages; as, the loss must be made good by average contribution.
Av"er*age transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Averaged (); present participle & verbal noun Averaging
Definitions
  1. To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean.
  2. To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to average a loss.
  3. To do, accomplish, get, etc., on an average.
Av"er*age intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To form, or exist in, a mean or medial sum or quantity; to amount to, or to be, on an ~; as, the losses of the owners will average twenty five dollars each; these spars average ten feet in length.

Webster 1913