average 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of averagenext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

average

2 of 3

noun

ˈa-v(ə-)rij How to pronounce average (audio)
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

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to measure

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to equalize

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
For the contiguous United States, on average, July is the hottest month of the year. —Dan Peck, ABC News, 3 June 2025 Wisconsin had the lowest vaccination rate, on average, among the states studied; its most recent rate was in the 70s. —Chantelle Lee, Time, 2 June 2025
Noun
About 60% of renters in Florida and the Orlando area were cost-burdened, compared to the national average of 52%, due to the relatively modest average income of renters in the state. —Tyler Williams, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025 Travel insurance averages between 4% and 10% of your total nonrefundable trip expenses. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 31 May 2025
Verb
Teams went from averaging slightly less than 1,300 miles per season from 1980 through the mid-1990s to more than 1,500 these days. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 Both locations are shaded red on NOAA's forecast map, indicating that temperatures are expected to average above the typical summer range. —Dan Peck, ABC News, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for average
Recent Examples of Synonyms for average
  1. median
  2. normal
  3. typical
  4. norm
  5. measure
  6. equalize
  7. ordinary
  8. standard
Adjective
  • The median income for suburban renters, at $42,500, lags significantly behind that of homeowners, who earn an average of over $86,000.
    — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • For many workers, that target can be difficult to match, considering that median income for full-time workers in their 30s is roughly $60,000 to $70,000, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the first quarter of 2025.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Definition of median
Adjective
  • In a revealing interview on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, Omos detailed his journey from assuming his rapid growth was normal to facing a critical health crisis.
    — Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • Most kids use pacifiers—and up to a certain point, that's totally normal.
    — ​Wendy Wisner, Parents, 29 May 2025
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • Bacalao is served in all manner of dishes; one of the most popular is with pil-pil sauce, made of olive oil, garlic and the juice of the fish, and typical in the Basque Country.
    — Jon Yeomans, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
  • This choice allows the plants to make maximum use of the soil's water and nutrients resources, particularly important in the poor soils and arid climates typical of Apulia.
    — Elisabetta Tosi, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Definition of typical
Noun
  • Davis shared her love for Sacramento’s ballroom culture, which focuses on competitive performance, dancing and modeling to reflect societal norms such as gender and social classes.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
  • Their lower rate of engagement can reflect a cultural background shaped by different societal norms around mental health, where there has traditionally been a stigma associated with seeking help.
    — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Definition of norm
Verb
  • The most telling way to measure Timber’s impact is that, even when White returned from injury in February, Arteta stuck with the Dutchman until he was lost to the ankle problem that kept him out for the final month of the season.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Boyer and his colleagues measured the concentrations of ammonia and other gases in the air roughly five miles away from a colony of 60,000 Adélie penguins in Antarctica.
    — Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 May 2025
Definition of measure
Verb
  • Lightning equalize on the power play Tampa Bay got the first power play of the game with Matthew Tkachuk called for roughing.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The reciprocal tariffs may stop short of his pledge to equalize with levels charged by foreign countries on U.S. goods, Trump told reporters.
    — Josh Fellman, Quartz, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of equalize
Adjective
  • Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
    — Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
  • During the 2014 Western Conference final, the Los Angeles captain — who was in the midst of playing 64 extra games in a 26-month span — was asked why his Kings were so impressive in the postseason, but so ordinary in the regular season.
    — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 May 2025
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • Newsweek contacted the company for comment on Tuesday, outside of standard business hours.
    — Joe Edwards Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
  • Specs In Line With The Realme GT 7 Internally, the Realme GT 7 Dream Edition is similar to the standard GT 7.
    — Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Definition of standard

Browse Nearby Words

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average
averaged
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Cite this Entry

“Average.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/average. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on average

Nglish: Translation of average for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about average

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