Dictionary

average en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈæv.(ə.)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈæv.ɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈæv.ɚ.ɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• ăvʹ(ə)rĭj (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Arabic عَوَار (ʕawār) Proto-Afroasiatic Proto-Semitic Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Proto-Afroasiatic *-t Proto-Semitic *-at- Arabic ـَة (-a) Arabic ـِيَّة (-iyya) Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya)bor.? Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habēre Old Italian avére Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old Italian -ìa ? Old Italian avariabor. Old French avarie Middle French avarie Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English average Not entirely certain. The oldest meaning in English is “customs duty”. Borrowed from Middle French avarie (“damage to ship or cargo”), from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria where it is first attested in the 12th century in the context of Mediterranean trade. From there most sources trace it to Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya, “damaged goods”), from عَوَار (ʕawār, “fault, blemish, defect, flaw”), from عَوِرَ (ʕawira, “to lose an eye”), but the OED gives it a Romance derivation from Italian avere (“property, goods”) or the like. The English suffix -age was added in analogy to words like damage.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Constituting or relating to the average.
   • The average age of the participants was 18.5.
2. Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.
   • I soon found I was only an average chess player.
3. Typical.
   • Things that never would occur to more average children, with and without AD/HD, will give these children nightmares. 2004, Deirdre V. Lovecky, Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits, page 75:
   • The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product.
   • We tend to think that exceptionally attractive men and women are outstanding but the fact is that they are more average than most. 2002, Andy Turnbull, The Synthetic Beast: When Corporations Come to Life, page 12:
   • In other words, highly attractive people like highly attractive communicators and more average people like more average communicators. 2009, Susan T. Fiske, Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology, page 73:
4. (informal) Not outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor.
   • In the piano stool there was a stack of music, mostly sentimental ballads intended to be sung by people with very average voices accompanied by not very competent pianists. 2009, Carn Tiernan, On the Back of the Other Side, page 62:
   • The graphics, sound, and most everything else are all very average. However, the main thing that brings this game down are the controls - they feel very clumsy and awkward at times. 2002, Andy Slaven, Video Game Bible, 1985-2002, page 228:
   • But what the vast majority of the populace doesn′t realise is the fact that he′s only on TV because he became famous from one case, Winona Ryder's, which, by the way, he lost because he′s only a very average attorney. 2005, Brad Knight, Laci Peterson: The Whole Story: Laci, Scott, and Amber's Deadly Love Triangle, page 308:

Forms

Antonyms

extraordinary

Deriveds

average access time · unaverage · averageness · average Joe · ensemble average · average seek time · daily average revenue trades · underaverage · average frustrated chump · averagely · average bear

Synonyms

habitual · standard · crap · decent · improminent · unexceptional · average · routine · unremarkable · nonrare · natural · common as muck · run-of-the-mill · indifferent · wakeaday · usual · standard · horrible · lackluster · quotidian · pedestrian · routinary · vulgar · piss-poor · horrific · common as bums · peak · coarse · mediocre · congruent · typical · common-and-garden · inelegant · crapalicious · unexceptional · mundane · disagreeable · sixth-rate · atrocious · comme ci comme ça · foul · crummy · consistent · workaday · everyday · bad · wack · lackluster · medium · common-or-garden · usual · usual · par for the course · frequent · inferior · shitty · shitty · miserable · nothing to write home about · fourth-rate · ten a penny · quotidian · loathsome · chronic · garden variety · expectation · shitawful · rotten · fifth-rate · odious · incompetent · terrible · deityforsaken · so-so · conventional · sloppy · bog-standard · mediocre · crappy · hopeless · basic · pedestrian · mean · middling · whatever · mid · ordinary · plain vanilla · standard issue · no great shakes · godawful · conventional · dreadful · general · routine · par · common as dirt · horrid · ok-ok · subpar · hellish · ordinary · expected · everyday · regular · bog-standard · average · corny · two a penny · ordinary · common · plain · not worth writing home about · comme ci comme ça · OK · lousy · plain · commonplace · regular · awful · naff · unfavorable · horrendous · negative · bog-standard · intolerable · pathetic · okayish · common · basic · so-so · normal · unexceptional · crappy · dire · hideous · uninspiring · regular · abysmal · meh · rubbish · inadequate · moderate · workaday · average · tolerable · unstrange · middling · unremarkable · dogshit · ordinary · customary · normal · medial · common as pig tracks · dime a dozen · typical · dismal · par for the course

Translations (116)

es mediocre (neither very good nor very bad) · eu batez besteko (constituting or relating to the average) · el μέσος (constituting or relating to the average) · ga meán- (constituting or relating to the average) · pl średni (constituting or relating to the average) · ja 平凡な (neither very good nor very bad) · uk пересічний (typical) · ko 평균의 (constituting or relating to the average) · mk просечен (constituting or relating to the average) · grc μέτριος (neither very good nor very bad) · ar مُعَدَّل (constituting or relating to the average) · uk сере́дній (constituting or relating to the average) · nl gemiddelde (constituting or relating to the average) · fi keskimääräinen (neither very good nor very bad) · ja 平凡な (typical) · cmn 普通 (typical) · es común y corriente (typical) · gd cuibheasach (constituting or relating to the average) · fi keskimääräinen (constituting or relating to the average) · fa متوسط (constituting or relating to the average) · ga coitianta (constituting or relating to the average) · ja 普通の (typical) · hu átlagos (neither very good nor very bad) · pt média (constituting or relating to the average) · gl media (constituting or relating to the average) · ang medeme (typical) · ang medume (constituting or relating to the average) · nn middels (constituting or relating to the average) · tr ortalama (neither very good nor very bad) · bg нормален (typical) · nb middels (constituting or relating to the average) · ru среднестатисти́ческий (typical) · bg обикновен (typical) · gd meadhanach (neither very good nor very bad) · nn gjennomsnittleg (constituting or relating to the average) · sh prȍsečan (neither very good nor very bad) · sh prȍsječan (typical) · nrf pâssabl'ye (neither very good nor very bad) · tr ortalama (constituting or relating to the average) · fi tavallinen (typical) · gd meadhanach (constituting or relating to the average) · grc μέτριος (constituting or relating to the average) · es ordinario (typical) · ru обыкнове́нный (typical) · uk середньостатисти́чний (typical) · be сярэ́дні (constituting or relating to the average) · ang medeme (neither very good nor very bad) · pl przeciętny (typical) · bg среден (constituting or relating to the average) · fi keskinkertainen (neither very good nor very bad) · ro mijlociu (constituting or relating to the average) · te సగటు (typical) · tl balasak (constituting or relating to the average) · es promedio (neither very good nor very bad) · ga meánach (constituting or relating to the average) · gd cuibheasach (neither very good nor very bad) · cs průměrný (constituting or relating to the average) · cmn 平均 (constituting or relating to the average) · hu átlagos (constituting or relating to the average) · te సగటు (constituting or relating to the average) · sh про̏сјечан (constituting or relating to the average) · ru обы́чный (typical) · fr moyen (typical) · ga gnách (constituting or relating to the average) · it medio (constituting or relating to the average) · pl przeciętny (neither very good nor very bad) · fr moyen (constituting or relating to the average) · hu átlag- (typical) · da gennemsnitlig (constituting or relating to the average) · pt médio (constituting or relating to the average) · eo mezgranda (constituting or relating to the average) · es común (typical) · ru сре́дний (constituting or relating to the average) · ru сре́дний (neither very good nor very bad) · sh prȍsečan (typical) · pt equilibrado (neither very good nor very bad) · hy միջին (neither very good nor very bad) · es corriente (typical) · sk priemerný (neither very good nor very bad) · bg среден (neither very good nor very bad) · es ni fu ni fa (neither very good nor very bad) · sl povprečen (constituting or relating to the average) · sh prȍsečan (constituting or relating to the average) · hy միջին (constituting or relating to the average) · sh про̏сјечан (typical) · nb gjennomsnittlig (constituting or relating to the average) · sv genomsnittlig (constituting or relating to the average) · sh prȍsječan (neither very good nor very bad) · hy միջին (typical) · la mediocris (neither very good nor very bad) · sh про̏сјечан (neither very good nor very bad) · sh про̏сечан (constituting or relating to the average) · tr sıradan (typical) · vi trung bình (constituting or relating to the average) · ru обы́чный (neither very good nor very bad) · ro mediu (constituting or relating to the average) · sh про̏сечан (typical) · cmn 一般 (neither very good nor very bad) · de durchschnittlich (constituting or relating to the average) · la mediocris (constituting or relating to the average) · sh про̏сечан (neither very good nor very bad) · es medio (constituting or relating to the average) · it media (constituting or relating to the average) · ja 平均 (constituting or relating to the average) · th โดยเฉลี่ย (constituting or relating to the average) · sh prȍsječan (constituting or relating to the average) · tr ortalama (typical) · sk priemerný (constituting or relating to the average) · sl navaden (neither very good nor very bad) · cs průměrný (typical) · fi tyypillinen (typical) · ar مُتَوَسِّط (constituting or relating to the average) · te మోస్తరు (neither very good nor very bad) · cy canolog (constituting or relating to the average) · sv typisk (typical) · cs průměrný (neither very good nor very bad)

average en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈæv.(ə.)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈæv.ɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈæv.ɚ.ɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• ăvʹ(ə)rĭj (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Arabic عَوَار (ʕawār) Proto-Afroasiatic Proto-Semitic Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Proto-Afroasiatic *-t Proto-Semitic *-at- Arabic ـَة (-a) Arabic ـِيَّة (-iyya) Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya)bor.? Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habēre Old Italian avére Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old Italian -ìa ? Old Italian avariabor. Old French avarie Middle French avarie Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English average Not entirely certain. The oldest meaning in English is “customs duty”. Borrowed from Middle French avarie (“damage to ship or cargo”), from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria where it is first attested in the 12th century in the context of Mediterranean trade. From there most sources trace it to Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya, “damaged goods”), from عَوَار (ʕawār, “fault, blemish, defect, flaw”), from عَوِرَ (ʕawira, “to lose an eye”), but the OED gives it a Romance derivation from Italian avere (“property, goods”) or the like. The English suffix -age was added in analogy to words like damage.

Meanings

1. Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.
   • You need to show some averages in an executive summary, show some samples of raw data in the document body, and move the full raw data to an appendix.
   • In conclusion, it may savour of anticlimax to mention that from May 22 the famous "Sud Express," over the same route, has been covering the 359.7 miles from Paris Austerlitz to Bordeaux in 4 hr. 59 min. daily, at a start-to-stop average of 72.2 m.p.h., and that the northbound train has been taking 5 hr. 7 min. for an average of 70.3. 1955 June, 'Mercury', “Over 200 Miles Per Hour”, in Railway Magazine, page 380:
2. Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode. ▸ The arithmetic mean.
   • The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18.
   • But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 (the average of the 15 poorest countries’ own poverty lines, measured in 2005 dollars and adjusted for differences in purchasing power): people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short. 2013 June 1, “Towards the end of poverty”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, archived from the original on 05 Sep 2024, page 11:
3. A financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.
   • Historically, the courts have allowed a general average claim only where the loss occurred as a result of the ship being in immediate peril.[…]The court awarded the carrier the general average claim. It noted that “a ship′s master should not be discouraged from taking timely action to avert a disaster,” and need not be in actual peril to claim general average. 2008, Filiberto Agusti, Beverley Earle, Richard Schaffer, Filiberto Agusti, Beverley Earle, International Business Law and Its Environment, page 219:
4. (dated) A financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss. ▸ Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.
5. (obsolete) A financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss. ▸ Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.
6. An indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.
   • batting average

Forms

Coordinates

mode · quadratic mean · median · geometric mean · weighted mean · harmonic mean

Deriveds

moving average (terms derived from average (noun)) · deaverage (terms derived from average (noun)) · petty average (terms derived from average (noun)) · average Jane (terms derived from average (noun)) · average atomic mass (terms derived from average (noun)) · averager (terms derived from average (noun)) · height above average terrain (terms derived from average (noun)) · below average (terms derived from average (noun)) · slugging average (terms derived from average (noun)) · general average (terms derived from average (noun)) · grade point average (terms derived from average (noun)) · law of averages (terms derived from average (noun)) · goal average (terms derived from average (noun)) · weighted average (terms derived from average (noun)) · subaverage (terms derived from average (noun)) · national average (terms derived from average (noun)) · space average (terms derived from average (noun)) · time-average (terms derived from average (noun)) · time-average equation (terms derived from average (noun)) · rolling average (terms derived from average (noun)) · time average (terms derived from average (noun)) · gyroaverage (terms derived from average (noun)) · arithmetic average (terms derived from average (noun)) · batting average (terms derived from average (noun)) · z-average (terms derived from average (noun)) · on average (terms derived from average (noun)) · weighted-average cost of capital (terms derived from average (noun)) · particular average (terms derived from average (noun)) · earned run average (terms derived from average (noun)) · bowling average (terms derived from average (noun)) · above average (terms derived from average (noun))

Descendants

average

Hypernyms

mean

Synonyms

mean

Translations (86)

ca mitjana (arithmetic mean) · es media (arithmetic mean) · el μέσος όρος (arithmetic mean) · sh prosjek (arithmetic mean) · tr vasati (arithmetic mean) · ru сре́днее (arithmetic mean) · ko 평균 (arithmetic mean) · cs průměr (arithmetic mean) · de arithmetisches Mittel (arithmetic mean) · bg средно (any measure of central tendency) · ka საშუალო (arithmetic mean) · it media (arithmetic mean) · is meðaltal (arithmetic mean) · da gennemsnit (arithmetic mean) · sh prosek (arithmetic mean) · gd cuibheas (arithmetic mean) · to 'avalisi (arithmetic mean) · ms rerata (arithmetic mean) · pdt Derchschnett (arithmetic mean) · ml ശരാശരി (arithmetic mean) · sv genomsnitt (arithmetic mean) · eo meznombro (arithmetic mean) · ms pukul rata (arithmetic mean) · ar مُتَوَسِّط (arithmetic mean) · te సగటు (any measure of central tendency) · mi tau toharite (arithmetic mean) · id rata-rata hitung (arithmetic mean) · pdt Derchschnett (any measure of central tendency) · nb gjennomsnitt (arithmetic mean) · hy միջին (arithmetic mean) · te సరాసరి (any measure of central tendency) · nn gjennomsnitt (arithmetic mean) · gd meadhan (arithmetic mean) · ms purata (arithmetic mean) · mi toharite (arithmetic mean) · de Durchschnitt (arithmetic mean) · tr averaj (arithmetic mean) · fi keskiarvo (any measure of central tendency) · grc μεσότης (arithmetic mean) · kl agguaqatigiissitaq (arithmetic mean) · sv medeltal (arithmetic mean) · fi keskiarvo (arithmetic mean) · yue 平均 (arithmetic mean) · te సరాసరి (arithmetic mean) · ckb ڕادەی ئاسایی (any measure of central tendency) · te సగటు (arithmetic mean) · id rerata (arithmetic mean) · arz معدل (any measure of central tendency) · fr moyenne (arithmetic mean) · pl średnia (arithmetic mean) · fi keskiarvo (indication of player's ability) · pt média (arithmetic mean) · ms rata-rata (arithmetic mean) · gd cuibheasachd (arithmetic mean) · te సగటు (indication of player's ability) · cmn 平均 (arithmetic mean) · arz مُتَوَسِّط (any measure of central tendency) · ja 平均 (arithmetic mean) · id rerata aritmetika (arithmetic mean) · ja 平均 (any measure of central tendency) · da middelværdi (arithmetic mean) · sk priemer (arithmetic mean) · ro medie (arithmetic mean) · id rata-rata (any measure of central tendency) · nn medeltal (arithmetic mean) · he ממוצע (arithmetic mean) · es promedio (arithmetic mean) · bho औसत (arithmetic mean) · ar مُعَدَّل (any measure of central tendency) · eo aritmetika meznombro (arithmetic mean) · hu átlag (arithmetic mean) · gd meadhan (any measure of central tendency) · eu batezbesteko (any measure of central tendency) · bg средно число (arithmetic mean) · de Mittelwert (arithmetic mean) · hu átlag (any measure of central tendency) · nl gemiddelde (arithmetic mean) · id nilai rerata (any measure of central tendency) · te సరాసరి (indication of player's ability) · id rata-rata (arithmetic mean) · ms hitung panjang (arithmetic mean) · tr ortalama (arithmetic mean) · nb middeltall (arithmetic mean) · ar مُعَدَّل (arithmetic mean) · fo miðaltal (arithmetic mean) · uk сере́днє (arithmetic mean)

wikidata: Q202785 · wikidata: Q202785 · wikidata: Q19033

average en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈæv.(ə.)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈæv.ɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈæv.ɚ.ɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• ăvʹ(ə)rĭj (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Arabic عَوَار (ʕawār) Proto-Afroasiatic Proto-Semitic Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Proto-Afroasiatic *-t Proto-Semitic *-at- Arabic ـَة (-a) Arabic ـِيَّة (-iyya) Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya)bor.? Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habēre Old Italian avére Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old Italian -ìa ? Old Italian avariabor. Old French avarie Middle French avarie Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English average Not entirely certain. The oldest meaning in English is “customs duty”. Borrowed from Middle French avarie (“damage to ship or cargo”), from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria where it is first attested in the 12th century in the context of Mediterranean trade. From there most sources trace it to Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya, “damaged goods”), from عَوَار (ʕawār, “fault, blemish, defect, flaw”), from عَوِرَ (ʕawira, “to lose an eye”), but the OED gives it a Romance derivation from Italian avere (“property, goods”) or the like. The English suffix -age was added in analogy to words like damage.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.
   • If you average 10, 20, and 24, you get 18.
2. (transitive) Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.
   • This comes after the center topped the charts last year, becoming the first player at the position since four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal to win the scoring title and the first center to average over 30 PPG in 40 years – Embiid averaged 30.6. 2023 April 5, Thomas Schlacher, “Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokić vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo: What’s the latest in the race to become the NBA MVP?”, in CNN:
   • The five roller-bearing A1s are now averaging 120,000 miles between shopping; this figure is an improvement of about 50 per cent on the norm of other ex-L.N.E. Pacific types. 1961 November 14, “Talking of Trains: The roller-bearing A1s”, in Trains Illustrated, page 643:
   • The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C.
   • I averaged 75% in my examinations this year.
3. (transitive) To divide among a number, according to a given proportion.
   • to average a loss
4. (intransitive) To be, generally or on average.
   • Gulls average much larger than terns, with stouter build […] 1872, Elliott Coues, Key to North American Birds:

Forms

Deriveds

averageable · average down · average out · unaveraged · average up

Translations (5)

bg усреднявам (2. (transitive) to have or generate a mean value of) · es promediar (2. (transitive) to have or generate a mean value of) · es promediar (4. (intransitive) to be on average) · es promediar (1. (transitive) to compute) · es promediar (3. (transitive) to divide)

average en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Old French averder. Middle English aver Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age Middle English average English average From Middle English average, from Medieval Latin averagium, from aver (“horse or other beast of burden, service required from the same”) from Old English eafor (“obligation to carry goods and convey messages for one's lord”) from aferian (“to remove, take away”); + -age.

Meanings

1. (UK, obsolete) The feudal service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.

Forms

Translations (2)

la averagium (service) · frm average (service)