average
average
Pronunciation
/ˈævərɪdʒ/
av - /æv/
er - /ər/
age - /ɪdʒ/
Word Form Variations
Noun: average (singular), averages (plural)
Verb: average (base form), averages (third-person singular present), averaged (past tense, past participle), averaging (present participle)
Adjective: average
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data, calculated by dividing the sum of the values by the number of values.
Synonyms: mean, median, norm, standard
Antonyms: extreme, anomaly, outlier
Definition 2: A typical or usual level, quality, or quantity.
Synonyms: norm, par, standard, typicality
Antonyms: exception, rarity, deviation
Verb
Definition 1: To calculate the mean of a set of numbers.
Synonyms: compute, reckon, total, sum
Antonyms: (no direct antonyms for the action of calculating)
Definition 2: To amount to or achieve as an average over a period of time.
Synonyms: attain, reach, maintain, hit
Antonyms: fluctuate, vary (when not stabilizing at a mean)
Definition 3: To perform at a level that is neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad; to be typically or ordinarily.
Synonyms: normalize, stabilize, equalize
Antonyms: excel, underperform, deviate
Adjective
Definition 1: Constituting the result obtained by adding together several quantities and then dividing by the number of quantities; being the mean.
Synonyms: mean, median, typical, normal
Antonyms: extreme, exceptional, outstanding
Definition 2: Of the usual or ordinary standard; not special or unusual.
Synonyms: typical, common, ordinary, normal, standard, mediocre, unexceptional
Antonyms: exceptional, unusual, extraordinary, remarkable, outstanding, superior, inferior
Examples of Use
Books:
"He was an average student, neither excelling nor failing, simply getting by with decent grades." (From a review of "The Catcher in the Rye" on Goodreads, March 2019)
"The book's plot was rather average, lacking the twists and turns that would have made it truly memorable." (From a reader's review on Amazon, January 2021)
Newspapers:
"The average temperature for July is expected to be slightly higher than usual this year." (The New York Times)
"Local businesses are reporting an average increase of 5% in sales during the holiday season." (The Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"To determine your daily caloric needs, you'll need to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate and then average your activity level." (Healthline.com)
"The latest smartphone model offers average battery life, lasting a full day with moderate use." (TechCrunch.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Show (Dialogue): "For an average guy, you sure get yourself into a lot of trouble." (Dialogue from a popular sitcom, observed during a re-run in 2022)
Movie Review: "While the special effects were impressive, the acting was decidedly average, preventing the film from reaching its full potential." (Empire Magazine online review, September 2024)
Video Game (User Forum): "My K/D ratio in this game is pretty average – I'm not a pro, but I'm not terrible either." (Reddit r/gaming forum, February 2025)
Music Review: "Her new album is solid, but it's pretty average for her. Nothing groundbreaking." (Pitchfork.com, May 2024)
General Public Discourse:
"The cost of living in the city is above average compared to the rest of the country." (Heard in a casual conversation)
"I'm just an average person trying to make a living." (Common phrase heard in interviews and everyday interactions, ongoing)
"On average, I spend about two hours commuting each day." (Heard in a public transport setting)
10 Quotes Using Average
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." (Winston Churchill)
"Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common." (Satchel Paige)
"If I could explain it to the average person, it wouldn't have been worth the Nobel Prize." (Richard P. Feynman)
"The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort." (Colin Powell)
"Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." (Garrison Keillor)
"I am only an average man but, by George, I work harder at it than the average man." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." (Andy Rooney)
"By definition, it is not possible to everyone to be above the average." (Jim Collins)
"Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will." (Aiden Wilson Tozer)
Etymology
The word "average" has a fascinating journey through different languages and meanings!
It came into English from Middle French "avarie" in the late 15th century. This French word, in turn, is believed to have come from the Old Italian "avaria," which might have its roots in the Arabic word "'awariya," meaning "damaged merchandise."
So, the first known meaning of "average" in English was related to maritime trade. It referred to:
Damage sustained by a ship or its cargo. Imagine a ship on a long journey, and some of the goods get ruined by a storm. That damage was called "avarie."
The expenses related to such damage. Even more interesting, it also referred to the idea of how these losses or damages were shared among everyone involved in the shipment (like the ship owners and the cargo owners). If parts of the cargo had to be thrown overboard to save the ship, everyone would contribute to cover that loss proportionally. This idea of "equal sharing of loss" is where our modern sense of "average" began to develop.
Over time, this very specific maritime meaning broadened. By the 18th century, "average" started to be used in a more general sense to mean a "medial estimate" or a "proportionate distribution." The mathematical sense of calculating a "mean proportion" (what we usually think of as "average" today) solidified later in the mid-18th century.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Average
On average: Typically; usually.
The law of averages: The principle that future events will balance out any past deviations from expected outcomes.
Average Joe/Jane: An ordinary or typical person.
Below average: Less than the usual or expected standard.
Above average: More than the usual or expected standard.
To average out: To result in a mean or typical amount over a period; to balance out.
Just an average day: A typical, uneventful day.
An average run of luck: A period of typical or neither exceptionally good nor bad fortune.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of average from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
