n.
Pronunciation: ' a-v( ə -)rij
Function: noun
Etymology: from earlier average proportionally distributed charge for damage at sea, modification of Middle French avarie damage to ship or cargo, from Old Italian avaria, from Arabic 'aw ā r ī ya damaged merchandise
Date: 1732
1 a : a single value (as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values b : MEAN 1B
2 a : an estimation of or approximation to an arithmetic mean b : a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group, class, or series <above the average >
3 : a ratio expressing the average performance especially of an athletic team or an athlete computed according to the number of opportunities for successful performance
– on average or on the average : taking the typical example of the group under consideration <prices have increased on average by five percent>
synonyms AVERAGE , MEAN , MEDIAN , NORM mean something that represents a middle point. AVERAGE is exactly or approximately 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>. 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°>. 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>. NORM means the computed or estimated average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade <scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic>.