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

Related Words
2
as in to equalize

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
The Rocky Mountain snowpack is at just 57% of average, one of the smallest in decades. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026 According to the Public Policy Institute of California, current and former English learner students score 16–17 percentage points lower, on average, than peers who were never classified as English learners. —Jill Stegman, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
According to European Avalanche Warning Services, an avalanche forecasting service that also tracks fatalities, an average of 100 people die in European avalanches each year. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 13 Feb. 2026 That’s an average of about 293 students each year. —Kendrick Calfee february 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Winds chills will average -15° to 0° across the metro Saturday morning. —Steven Sosna, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026 In Santa Familia, a couple can expect monthly living expenses to average around $2,000. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026 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 actual costs for things such as meat, dairy, produce, frozen foods and cleaning products were compared to the state's median household income to determine where people spend the most.
    — Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Because of that, said Burton, the bill classifies lot rental fees as a homeownership activity, meaning that mobile home owners making less than 140% of area median income — $123,900 for a family of four in Miami-Dade County — could qualify for up to six months of lot rental assistance.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of median
Adjective
  • At normal pool, anglers will find them at depths of 20-25 feet.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
  • What the files do seem to confirm, though, is the conspiracy theorist’s view of an elite stratosphere, where normal rules don’t apply, everyone knows each other, and ideological differences are subsumed to self-interested motives.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • This is not your typical Aladdin’s Cave vintage shop, where rails are stacked on top of each other and garments fill every corner.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
  • However, the expert warned that focusing on combat performance could push robot development away from typical industrial or service uses, because fighting requires extreme, short bursts of high-impact movement rather than steady, practical operation.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of typical
Noun
  • Trump’s disdain for international alliances and norms has also begun to reshape Europe in a way that may exacerbate Russia’s weakness.
    — Alan Cullison, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
  • China denied the allegations, but experts are worried that the claims mark a further unraveling of a long-standing global norm against nuclear testing.
    — Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of norm
Verb
  • Choose the Right Color Temperature Color temperature refers to how warm or cool a light source is, measured in Kelvin (abbreviated as K).
    — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
  • While astronomical seasons are measured by Earth’s position in relation to the sun, meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle.
    — Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of measure
Verb
  • But Iglesias equalized in the third minute of stoppage time when Pablo Durán set him up with his heel after a good run from Sergio Carreira.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
  • But Sweden was unfazed as Gabriel Landeskog, a forward for the Colorado Avalanche, equalized just five minutes later.
    — NBC News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of equalize
Adjective
  • Their goal with the video was to push back against the president’s domestic troop deployments, a trend his critics feared might lead to clashes with ordinary Americans or be used to interfere in upcoming elections.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Nothing out of the ordinary there, admittedly.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • This composition would have made ancient tools harder and more durable than standard copper — a significant advantage for a drill bit that needed to bore through resistant materials.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Most notable is the addition of an interchangeable dual-lace wrap, which sweeps from the barely there midsole and finishes with a bow atop the standard shoelaces.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of standard

Browse Nearby Words

aver
average
averaged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Average.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/average. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on average

Nglish: Translation of average for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about average

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

'Buck naked' or 'butt naked'?

What does 'etcetera' mean?

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

The Words of the Week - Feb. 13

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?
See More

Popular

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All