median

¹

[ mee-dee-uhn ]

noun

1. 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.

2. Geometry. a straight line from a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.
3. Also called midpoint. a vertical line that divides a histogram into two equal parts. Compare central tendency.
4. median strip.

adjective

1. Statistics. relating to the value in the center of the distribution for an array of data:

   the median income of American households.

2. noting or relating to a plane dividing something into two equal parts, especially one dividing an animal into right and left halves.
3. situated in or relating to the middle; medial.

Median

²

[ mee-dee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Media, the Medes, or their language.

noun

1. a Mede.
2. the Iranian language of ancient Media, contemporaneous with Old Persian.

median

/ ˈmiːdɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, situated in, or directed towards the middle
2. biology of or relating to the plane that divides an organism or organ into symmetrical parts
3. statistics of or relating to the median

noun

1. a middle point, plane, or part
2. geometry
   1. a straight line joining one vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side See also centroid
   2. a straight line joining the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezium
3. statistics the middle value in a frequency distribution, below and above which lie values with equal total frequencies
4. statistics the middle number or average of the two middle numbers in an ordered sequence of numbers

   7 is the median of both 1, 7, 31 and 2, 5, 9, l6

5. Also calledchiefly Britcentral reservation the strip, often covered with grass, that separates the two sides of a highway

median

/ mē′dē-ən /

1. In a sequence of numbers arranged from smallest to largest:
   1. 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.
   2. 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).
2. A line joining a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

median

¹

1. 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 .)

median

²

1. The point in a series at which half of the values or units of the series are higher and half lower.

Derived Forms

• ˈmedianly, adverb

Other Words From

• medi·an·ly adverb
• post·medi·an adjective
• pre·medi·an noun adjective
• sub·medi·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of median¹

First recorded in 1535–45, median is from the Latin word mediānus in the middle. See medium, -an

Origin of median²

First recorded in 1595–1605; Medi(a) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of median¹

C16: from Latin mediānus, from medius middle

Example Sentences

According to the Federal Reserve’s most recent Survey of Consumer Finances in 2022, the median savings account balance for U.S. households was $8,000.

From Salon

Being the world’s youngest continent – with a median age of 19 – Africa presents opportunities for the future, the UK Foreign Office said.

From BBC

Since Nigeria's median age is only 18, many hoped younger leaders would break the old patterns of oppression and entitlement.

From BBC

Today, nearly three-quarters of Norwalk’s homes are owner-occupied and its median household income, though far below Beverly Hills’, is higher than the county average.

From Los Angeles Times

Over the first six months of this year, the city reached a milestone: the median time it took Omura and her colleagues to get homeless people off the street fell to 14 days.

From Los Angeles Times

Median Vs. Mean Vs. Mode Vs. Average

What’s the difference between median, mean, mode, and average?

In the context of mathematics and statistics, the median is the middle number in a set of values when those values are arranged from smallest to largest. In contrast, the word mean refers to what’s informally called the average—the sum of a set of values divided by the number of values. The mode of a set of values is the most frequently repeated value in the set.

The word average is of course also very commonly used in more general ways. In math, though, it’s helpful to use more specific terms when determining the most representative or common value in a set of numbers.

To illustrate the difference, let’s look at an example set of seven values: 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9.

To get the mean of this set, you’d add up all the values (2+3+3+4+6+8+9=35) and then divide that total by the number of values (7), resulting in a mean of 5. This is what most people are referring to when they refer to the average of some set of numbers.

To find the median, you have to find the one that’s sequentially in the middle. In a set of seven numbers arranged in increasing value, the median is the fourth number (since there are three before and three after). In this set (2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), the median is 4. When a set has an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values.

The mode is simply the value that shows up the most. In the example set, the mode is 3, since it occurs twice and all the other values occur only once.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between median, mean, mode, and average.

Quiz yourself on median vs. mean vs. mode vs. average!

Should median, mean, mode, or average be used in the following sentence?

The most frequently repeated test score is 80, so it’s the _____ of the set.