median
[ mee-dee-uh n ]
/ ˈmi di ən /
noun
Arithmetic, Statistics.
the middle number in a given sequence of numbers, taken as the average of the two middle numbers when the sequence has an even number of numbers: 4 is the median of 1, 3, 4, 8, 9.
Geometry.
a straight line from a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.
Also called midpoint.
a vertical line that divides a histogram into two equal parts.
Compare central tendency.
adjective
Origin of median
OTHER WORDS FROM median
me·di·an·ly, adverb post·me·di·an, adjective pre·me·di·an, noun, adjective sub·me·di·an, adjectiveWords nearby median
Definition for median (2 of 2)
Median
[ mee-dee-uh n ]
/ ˈmi di ən /
adjective
of or relating to Media, the Medes, or their language.
noun
a Mede.
the Iranian language of ancient Media, contemporaneous with Old Persian.
Example sentences from the Web for median
British Dictionary definitions for median
median
/ (ˈmiːdɪən) /
adjective
noun
Derived forms of median
medianly, adverbWord Origin for median
C16: from Latin
mediānus, from
medius middle
Medical definitions for median
median
[ mē′dē-ən ]
adj.
Relating to, located in, or extending toward the middle.
Of, relating to, or situated in or near the plane that divides a bilaterally symmetrical animal into right and left halves; mesial.
Of, relating to, or constituting the middle value in a distribution.
n.
A median point, plane, line, or part.
The middle value in a distribution, above and below which lie an equal number of values.
Scientific definitions for median
median
[ mē′dē-ən ]
In a sequence of numbers arranged from smallest to largest:
- The middle number, when such a sequence has an odd number of values. For example, in the sequence 3, 4, 14, 35, 280, the median is 14.
- The average of the two middle numbers, when such a sequence has an even number of values. For example, in the sequence 4, 8, 10, 56, the median is 9 (the average of 8 and 10). Compare arithmetic mean average mode.
A line joining a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.
Cultural definitions for median (1 of 2)
median
The point in a series at which half of the values or units of the series are higher and half lower.
Cultural definitions for median (2 of 2)
median
In statistics, the middle value of a set of numbers or data points; half the figures will fall below the median and half above. (See average; compare mean and mode.)