Word Confusion: Mean vs Median vs Average

Posted August 23, 2022 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
9 Dec 2022

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This word confusion mean vs median vs average is all about the math. And I am so math-challenged!

Mean and average are similar in that one adds up all the values and then divides this total by the number of values.

The difference is that mean is a statistical average of a given sample or data set with the values having a vast difference or being closely related to each other. Using mean is mostly technical or mathematical.

Average, a.k.a. arithmetic mean, is used generally to mean the mean but is technically an average for a set of numbers that are of the same value. It’s commonly used in day-to-day English.

Median also requires a range of values (in ascending or descending order), but it is the middle value of any given observation. For example, the median of 23, 34, 45, 56, 67 is 45. Or, the median of 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 is 4. When a set has an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values: 23, 34, 56, 67, i.e., 34 + 56 = 90 divided by 2, or 45.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Mean	Median	Average
Standard Normal Distribution is D Well‘s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — This chart shows the standard deviations from the mean.	Planes of Body is by Connexions under the CC BY 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — Huh, there are three medians here.	Flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is by Don Becker with the US Geological Survey and is in the public domain, via Flickr. — Flooding these days is beyond the average.
Part of Grammar:
Adjective; Noun Plural for the noun: mean	Adjective; Noun Plural for the noun: medians	Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: averages Gerund: averaging Third person present verb: averages Past tense or past participle: averaged Present participle: averaging
Adjective: [Attrib.; of a quantity] Occupying a middle position or an intermediate place, as in kind, quality, degree, or time Average Equally far from two extremes Noun: [Mathematics] The value obtained by dividing the sum of several quantities by their number An average A condition, quality, or course of action equally removed from two opposite (usually unsatisfactory) extremes [Mathematics] The second and third terms of a proportion, as b and c in a/b = c/d [Statistics] A statistic obtained by multiplying each possible value of a variable by its probability and then taking the sum or integral over the range of the variable	Adjective: [Attrib.] Denoting or relating to a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of a frequency distribution of observed values or quantities, such that there is an equal probability of falling above or below it Denoting the middle term (or mean of the middle two terms) of a series arranged in order of magnitude [Statistics] Relating to the value in the center of the distribution for an array of data [Technical; Anatomy] Situated in the middle, especially of the body Medial Noun: The median value of a range of values [Geometry] A straight line drawn from any vertex of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side	Adjective: Constituting the result obtained by adding together several quantities and then dividing this total by the number of quantities Of the usual or ordinary standard, level, or quantity Having qualities that are seen as typical of a particular person or thing Mediocre Not very good Noun: A number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data, in particular the mode, median, or (most commonly) the mean, which is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number A median point, plane, line, or part The middle value in a distribution, above and below which lie an equal number of values An amount, standard, level, or rate regarded as usual or ordinary The apportionment of financial liability resulting from loss of or damage to a ship or its cargo Reduction in the amount payable under an insurance policy Verb, intransitive: [average out] Result in an even distribution Even out [average out at; average out to] Result in an average figure of Verb, transitive: Achieve or amount to as an average rate or amount over a period of time Calculate or estimate the average of (figures or measurements)
Examples:
Adjective: By 1989, the mean age at marriage stood at 24.8 for women and 26.9 for men. Hope is the mean virtue between despair and presumption. To control for the professional experience of the firm’s founding team, I calculated the mean age for the set of founders for each law firm. Noun: The acid output was calculated by taking the mean of all three samples. Consequently, means presented are geometric means and not arithmetic means. It was the mean between two extremes.	Adjective: The median duration of this treatment was four months. The median number of the series 55, 62, 76, 85, 93 is 76. The median duration of this treatment was four months. However, results may be limited, because the bladder neck and median prostate lobe cannot be treated. Noun: Acreages ranged from one to fifty-two with a median of twenty-four. We calculated means, standard deviations, medians, and interquartile ranges as appropriate. Values are medians (interquartile ranges) unless stated otherwise. The median income of American households was calculated. Perpendicular bisectors of two pieces of its medians form a hexagon with opposite sides parallel (and some additional features).	Adjective: The average temperature in May was 64°F. She was a woman of average height. The average teenager prefers comfort to high fashion. He’s a very average director who made very average movies. Noun: The housing prices there are twice the national average. They take about thirty minutes on average. The month’s snowfall is below average. But in all other cases where a ship is intentionally run on shore for the common safety, the consequent loss or damage shall be allowed as general average. In marine insurance, in the case of a partial loss, or emergency repairs to the vessel, average may be declared. Verb, intransitive: It is reasonable to hope that the results will average out. The cost should average out to about $6 per page. Grown-ups burn more than kids; but it all averages out: 14 floor lamps per person, lit round the clock. Verb, transitive: Annual inflation averaged 2.4 percent. Their earnings, averaged out over the month, were only $62 a week. On agricultural goods the custom duty rate will average 74 per cent, the same as last year.
Derivatives:
	Adjective: postmedian, premedian, submedian Adverb: medianly Noun: premedian	Adverb: averagely Noun: averageness
History of the Word:
Middle English from the Old French meien, from the Latin medianus meaning middle (see median).	Late Middle English, denoting a median vein or nerve, is from the medieval Latin medianus, from medius meaning mid.	Late 15th century, from the French avarie meaning damage to ship or cargo, earlier customs duty, from the Italian avaria, which is from the Arabic ’awār meaning damage to goods, a duty payable by the owner of goods to be shipped. The suffix -age is on the pattern of damage. By the late 16th century, average then denoted financial liability from goods lost or damaged at sea, and specifically the equitable apportionment of loss or damage between the owners of the vessel and of the cargo. By the mid-18th century, this gave rise to the general sense of calculating the mean.

Mean

Median

Average

A graph showing the Standard Normal Probability Distribution with shaded regions.

Standard Normal Distribution is D Well‘s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

This chart shows the standard deviations from the mean.

A female body divided by three planes demonstrating as a split down and across the middle of the body.

Planes of Body is by Connexions under the CC BY 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

Huh, there are three medians here.

Flooded street in Cedar Rapids, IA near 13th Ave. and J Street, Cedar Rapids, IA

Flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is by Don Becker with the US Geological Survey and is in the public domain, via Flickr.

—

Flooding these days is beyond the average.

Part of Grammar:

Adjective; Noun

Plural for the noun: mean

Adjective; Noun

Plural for the noun: medians

Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive

Plural for the noun: averages
Gerund: averaging

Third person present verb: averages
Past tense or past participle: averaged
Present participle: averaging

Adjective:
[Attrib.; of a quantity] Occupying a middle position or an intermediate place, as in kind, quality, degree, or time

Average

Equally far from two extremes

Noun:
[Mathematics] The value obtained by dividing the sum of several quantities by their number

An average

A condition, quality, or course of action equally removed from two opposite (usually unsatisfactory) extremes

[Mathematics] The second and third terms of a proportion, as b and c in a/b = c/d

[Statistics] A statistic obtained by multiplying each possible value of a variable by its probability and then taking the sum or integral over the range of the variable

Adjective:
[Attrib.] Denoting or relating to a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of a frequency distribution of observed values or quantities, such that there is an equal probability of falling above or below it

Denoting the middle term (or mean of the middle two terms) of a series arranged in order of magnitude

[Statistics] Relating to the value in the center of the distribution for an array of data

[Technical; Anatomy] Situated in the middle, especially of the body

Medial

Noun:
The median value of a range of values

[Geometry] A straight line drawn from any vertex of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side

Adjective:
Constituting the result obtained by adding together several quantities and then dividing this total by the number of quantities

Of the usual or ordinary standard, level, or quantity
Having qualities that are seen as typical of a particular person or thing
Mediocre
Not very good

Noun:
A number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data, in particular the mode, median, or (most commonly) the mean, which is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number

A median point, plane, line, or part

The middle value in a distribution, above and below which lie an equal number of values

An amount, standard, level, or rate regarded as usual or ordinary

The apportionment of financial liability resulting from loss of or damage to a ship or its cargo

Reduction in the amount payable under an insurance policy

Verb, intransitive:
[average out] Result in an even distribution

Even out
[average out at; average out to] Result in an average figure of

Verb, transitive:
Achieve or amount to as an average rate or amount over a period of time

Calculate or estimate the average of (figures or measurements)

Examples:

Adjective:
By 1989, the mean age at marriage stood at 24.8 for women and 26.9 for men.

Hope is the mean virtue between despair and presumption.

To control for the professional experience of the firm’s founding team, I calculated the mean age for the set of founders for each law firm.

Noun:
The acid output was calculated by taking the mean of all three samples.

Consequently, means presented are geometric means and not arithmetic means.

It was the mean between two extremes.

Adjective:
The median duration of this treatment was four months.

The median number of the series 55, 62, 76, 85, 93 is 76.

The median duration of this treatment was four months.

However, results may be limited, because the bladder neck and median prostate lobe cannot be treated.

Noun:
Acreages ranged from one to fifty-two with a median of twenty-four.

We calculated means, standard deviations, medians, and interquartile ranges as appropriate.

Values are medians (interquartile ranges) unless stated otherwise.

The median income of American households was calculated.

Perpendicular bisectors of two pieces of its medians form a hexagon with opposite sides parallel (and some additional features).

Adjective:
The average temperature in May was 64°F.

She was a woman of average height.

The average teenager prefers comfort to high fashion.

He’s a very average director who made very average movies.

Noun:
The housing prices there are twice the national average.

They take about thirty minutes on average.

The month’s snowfall is below average.

But in all other cases where a ship is intentionally run on shore for the common safety, the consequent loss or damage shall be allowed as general average.

In marine insurance, in the case of a partial loss, or emergency repairs to the vessel, average may be declared.

Verb, intransitive:
It is reasonable to hope that the results will average out.

The cost should average out to about $6 per page.

Grown-ups burn more than kids; but it all averages out: 14 floor lamps per person, lit round the clock.

Verb, transitive:
Annual inflation averaged 2.4 percent.

Their earnings, averaged out over the month, were only $62 a week.

On agricultural goods the custom duty rate will average 74 per cent, the same as last year.

Derivatives:

Adjective: postmedian, premedian, submedian
Adverb: medianly
Noun: premedian

Adverb: averagely
Noun: averageness

History of the Word:

Middle English from the Old French meien, from the Latin medianus meaning middle (see median).

Late Middle English, denoting a median vein or nerve, is from the medieval Latin medianus, from medius meaning mid.

Late 15th century, from the French avarie meaning damage to ship or cargo, earlier customs duty, from the Italian avaria, which is from the Arabic ’awār meaning damage to goods, a duty payable by the owner of goods to be shipped.

The suffix -age is on the pattern of damage.

By the late 16th century, average then denoted financial liability from goods lost or damaged at sea, and specifically the equitable apportionment of loss or damage between the owners of the vessel and of the cargo.

By the mid-18th century, this gave rise to the general sense of calculating the mean.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

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Resources for Mean vs Median vs Average

Apple Dictionary.com

“Difference Between Average and Mean.” Cuemath.com. n.d. Web. 22 Aug 2022. <https://www.cuemath.com/data/difference-between-average-and-mean/>.

“Difference Between Average and Mean.” Maths Difference Between. Byjus.com. n.d. Web. 22 Aug 2022. <https://byjus.com/maths/difference-between-average-and-mean/>.

Lexico.com: mean, median

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