average

[ av-er-ij, av-rij ]

/ ˈæv ər ɪdʒ, ˈæv rɪdʒ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR average ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a quantity, rating, or the like that represents or approximates an arithmetic mean: Her golf average is in the 90s. My average in science has gone from B to C this semester.

a typical amount, rate, degree, etc.; norm.

Statistics. arithmetic mean.

Mathematics. a quantity intermediate to a set of quantities.

Commerce.

a charge paid by the master of a ship for such services as pilotage or towage.
an expense, partial loss, or damage to a ship or cargo.
the incidence of such an expense or loss to the owners or their insurers.
an equitable apportionment among all the interested parties of such an expense or loss.Compare general average, particular average.

adjective

of or relating to an average; estimated by average; forming an average: The average rainfall there is 180 inches.

typical; common; ordinary: The average secretary couldn't handle such a workload. His grades were nothing special, only average.

verb (used with object), av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing.

to find an average value for (a variable quantity); reduce to a mean: We averaged the price of milk in five neighborhood stores.

(of a variable quantity) to have as its arithmetic mean: Wheat averages 56 pounds to a bushel.

to do or have on the average: He averages seven hours of sleep a night.

verb (used without object), av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing.

to have or show an average: to average as expected.

Verb Phrases

average down, to purchase more of a security or commodity at a lower price to reduce the average cost of one's holdings.

average out,

to come out of a security or commodity transaction with a profit or without a loss.
to reach an average or other figure: His taxes should average out to about a fifth of his income.

average up, to purchase more of a security or commodity at a higher price to take advantage of a contemplated further rise in prices.

Idioms for average

on the/an average, usually; typically: She can read 50 pages an hour, on the average.

Origin of average

1485–95; earlier averay charge on goods shipped, orig. duty (< Middle French avarie < Old Italian avaria < Arabic ʿawārīyah damaged merchandise), with -age replacing -ay

OTHER WORDS FROM average

av·er·age·a·ble, adjective av·er·age·ly, adverb av·er·age·ness, noun sub·av·er·age, adjective

sub·av·er·age·ly, adverb su·per·av·er·age, adjective su·per·av·er·age·ness, noun un·av·er·aged, adjective un·der·av·er·age, adjective well-av·er·aged, adjective

Words nearby average

aventine, aventurine, avenue, avenzoar, aver, average, average adjuster, average deviation, average joe, average revenue, average speed

British Dictionary definitions for averageness

average

/ (ˈævərɪdʒ, ˈævrɪdʒ) /

noun

the typical or normal amount, quality, degree, etc above average in intelligence

Also called: arithmetic mean the result obtained by adding the numbers or quantities in a set and dividing the total by the number of members in the set the average of 3, 4, and 8 is 5

(of a continuously variable ratio, such as speed) the quotient of the differences between the initial and final values of the two quantities that make up the ratio his average over the journey was 30 miles per hour

maritime law

a loss incurred or damage suffered by a ship or its cargo at sea
the equitable apportionment of such loss among the interested parties

(often plural) stock exchange a simple or weighted average of the prices of a selected group of securities computed in order to facilitate market comparisons

on average, on the average or on an average usually; typically on average, he goes twice a week

adjective

usual or typical

mediocre or inferior his performance was only average

constituting a numerical average the average age; an average speed

approximately typical of a range of values the average contents of a matchbox

verb

(tr) to obtain or estimate a numerical average of

(tr) to assess the general quality of

(tr) to perform or receive a typical number of to average eight hours' work a day

(tr) to divide up proportionately they averaged the profits among the staff

(tr) to amount to or be on average the children averaged 15 years of age

(intr) stock exchange to purchase additional securities in a holding whose price has fallen (average down) or risen (average up) in anticipation of a speculative profit after further increases in price

Derived forms of average

averagely, adverb averageness, noun

Word Origin for average

C15 averay loss arising from damage to ships or cargoes (shared equitably among all concerned, hence the modern sense), from Old Italian avaria, ultimately from Arabic awār damage, blemish

Medical definitions for averageness

average

[ ăv′ər-ĭj, ăv′rĭj ]

n.

A number that typifies a set of numbers of which it is a function.

arithmetic mean

An intermediate level or degree.

adj.

Of, relating to, or constituting an average.

Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale.

v.

To calculate the average of.

To do or have an average of.

To distribute proportionately, as over a period of time.

Scientific definitions for averageness

average

[ ăv′ər-ĭj ]

A number, especially the arithmetic mean, that is derived from and considered typical or representative of a set of numbers. Compare arithmetic mean median mode.

Cultural definitions for averageness

average

A single number that represents a set of numbers. Means, medians, and modes are kinds of averages; usually, however, the term average refers to a mean.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

average

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing.

verb (used without object), av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing.

Verb Phrases

Idioms for average

Origin of average

OTHER WORDS FROM average

Words nearby average

British Dictionary definitions for averageness

noun

adjective

verb

Derived forms of average

Word Origin for average

Medical definitions for averageness

n.

adj.

v.

Scientific definitions for averageness

Cultural definitions for averageness

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

average

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing.

verb (used without object), av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing.

Verb Phrases

Idioms for average

Origin of average

OTHER WORDS FROM average

Words nearby average

Words related to averageness

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noun

adjective

verb

Derived forms of average

Word Origin for average

Medical definitions for averageness

n.

adj.

v.

Scientific definitions for averageness

Cultural definitions for averageness

British Dictionary definitions for averageness