mean

¹

[ meen ]

verb (used with object)

, meant, mean·ing.

1. to have in mind as one's purpose or intention:

   I meant to compliment you on your work.

   Synonyms: contemplate, aim, plan, intend

2. to intend for a particular purpose, destination, etc.:

   They were meant for each other.

   Synonyms: foreordain, destine

3. to intend to express or indicate:

   What do you mean by “liberal”?

4. to have as its sense or signification; signify:

   The word “freedom” means many things to many people.

   Synonyms: connote, imply, import, indicate, denote

5. to bring, cause, or produce as a result:

   This bonus means that we can take a trip to Florida.

6. to have (certain intentions) toward a person:

   He didn't mean you any harm.

7. to have the value of; assume the importance of:

   Money means everything to them. She means the world to him.

verb (used without object)

, meant, mean·ing.

1. to be minded or disposed; have intentions:

   Beware, she means ill, despite her solicitous manner.

mean

²

[ meen ]

adjective

, mean·er, mean·est.

1. offensive, selfish, or unaccommodating; nasty; malicious:

   a mean remark;

   He gets mean when he doesn't get his way.

2. small-minded or ignoble:

   mean motives.

   Synonyms: despicable, contemptible

3. penurious, stingy, or miserly:

   a person who is mean about money.

   Synonyms: selfish, ungenerous, parsimonious, tight, close, illiberal

4. inferior in grade, quality, or character:

   no mean reward.

5. low in status, rank, or dignity:

   mean servitors.

   Synonyms: undignified, plebeian, humble, common

6. of little importance or consequence:

   mean little details.

   Synonyms: poor, little, paltry, petty, insignificant, inconsequential

7. unimposing or shabby:

   a mean abode.

   Synonyms: poor, squalid

8. small, humiliated, or ashamed:

   You should feel mean for being so stingy.

9. Informal. in poor physical condition.
10. troublesome or vicious; bad-tempered:

    a mean old horse.

11. Slang. skillful or impressive:

    He blows a mean trumpet.

mean

³

[ meen ]

noun

1. Usually means. (used with a singular or plural verb) an agency, instrument, or method used to attain an end:

   The telephone is a means of communication. There are several means of solving the problem.

2. means,
   1. available resources, especially money:

      They lived beyond their means.

   2. considerable financial resources; riches:

      a man of means.

3. something that is midway between two extremes; something intermediate:

   to seek a mean between cynicism and blind faith.

4. Mathematics.
   1. a quantity having a value intermediate between the values of other quantities; an average, especially the arithmetic mean.
   2. either the second or third term in a proportion of four terms.
5. Statistics. expected value. See mathematical expectation ( def 2 ).
6. Logic. the middle term in a syllogism.

adjective

1. occupying a middle position or an intermediate place, as in kind, quality, degree, or time:

   a mean speed; a mean course; the mean annual rainfall.

mean

¹

/ miːn /

verb

1. may take a clause as object or an infinitive to intend to convey or express
2. may take a clause as object or an infinitive intend

   she didn't mean to hurt it

3. may take a clause as object to say or do in all seriousness

   the boss means what he says about strikes

4. often passiveoften foll byfor to destine or design (for a certain person or purpose)

   she was meant for greater things

5. may take a clause as object to denote or connote; signify; represent

   examples help show exactly what a word means

6. may take a clause as object to produce; cause

   the weather will mean long traffic delays

7. may take a clause as object to foretell; portend

   those dark clouds mean rain

8. to have the importance of

   money means nothing to him

9. intr to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases mean well or mean ill )
10. mean business
    to be in earnest

mean

²

/ miːn /

adjective

1. miserly, ungenerous, or petty
2. humble, obscure, or lowly

   he rose from mean origins to high office

3. despicable, ignoble, or callous

   a mean action

4. poor or shabby

   mean clothing

   a mean abode

5. informal.
   bad-tempered; vicious
6. informal.
   ashamed

   he felt mean about not letting the children go to the zoo

7. informal.
   unwell; in low spirits
8. slang.
   excellent; skilful

   he plays a mean trombone

9. no mean
   1. of high quality

      no mean performer

   2. difficult

      no mean feat

mean

³

/ miːn /

noun

1. the middle point, state, or course between limits or extremes
2. moderation
3. maths
   1. the second and third terms of a proportion, as b and c in a/b = c/d
   2. another name for average See also geometric mean
4. 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

1. intermediate or medium in size, quantity, etc
2. occurring halfway between extremes or limits; average

mean

/ mēn /

1. A number or quantity having a value that is intermediate between other numbers or quantities, especially an arithmetic mean or average.
2. See more at arithmetic mean
3. Either the second or third term of a proportion of four terms. In the proportion 2 3 = 4 6 , the means are 3 and 4.
4. Compare extreme

mean

¹

1. In statistics , an average of a group of numbers or data points. With a group of numbers, the mean is obtained by adding them and dividing by the number of numbers in the group. Thus the mean of five, seven, and twelve is eight (twenty-four divided by three). ( Compare median and mode .)

mean

²

1. An average in statistics . ( See under “Physical Sciences and Mathematics.” )

Usage

In standard English, mean should not be followed by for when expressing intention: I didn't mean this to happen (not I didn't mean for this to happen )

Derived Forms

• ˈmeanly, adverb
• ˈmeanness, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mean¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English menen, Old English mǣnan; cognate with German meinen, Dutch meenen

Origin of mean²

First recorded before 900; Middle English mene, variant of imene, imeane “held or shared in common,” Old English gemǣne “common, general, mutual”; cognate with Dutch gemeen, German gemein “common,” Gothic gamains “in common”; y-, common

Origin of mean³

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English mene, meine, from Middle French meen, mean, variant of meien, from Latin mediānus “middle, in the middle”; median

Word History and Origins

Origin of mean¹

Old English mænan; compare Old Saxon mēnian to intend, Dutch meenen

Origin of mean²

C12: from Old English gemǣne common; related to Old High German gimeini, Latin communis common, at first with no pejorative sense

Origin of mean³

C14: via Anglo-Norman from Old French moien, from Late Latin mediānus median

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. by all means,
   1. (in emphasis) certainly:

      Go, by all means.

   2. at any cost; without fail.
2. by any means, in any way; at all:

   We were not surprised at the news by any means.

3. by means of, with the help of; by the agency of; through:

   We crossed the stream by means of a log.

4. by no means, in no way; not at all:

   The prize is by no means certain.

5. mean well, to have good intentions; try to be kind or helpful:

   Her constant queries about your health must be tiresome, but I'm sure she means well.

More idioms and phrases containing mean

• means

Synonym Study

See intend.

Mean, low, base, sordid, and vile all refer to ignoble characteristics worthy of dislike, contempt, or disgust. Mean suggests pettiness and small-mindedness: to take a mean advantage. Low suggests coarseness and vulgarity: low company. Base suggests selfish cowardice or moral depravity: base motives. Sordid suggests a wretched uncleanness, or sometimes an avariciousness without dignity or moral scruples: a sordid slum; sordid gain. Vile suggests disgusting foulness or repulsiveness: vile insinuation; a vile creature. See stingy ¹.

Example Sentences

As law professor Lee Loevinger explained almost 50 years ago: “Neither judges nor juries, nor even lawyers in the usual situation, ever come in contact with the ‘facts’ of any case, taking ‘facts’ to mean the transactions or occurrences which gave rise to the controversy.”

From Slate

“And I never got strung out on liquor. I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first. And that’s a very subtle thing. I mean, I drank the best,” he said.

From Salon

Piezoelectricity, which translates from Greek to mean pressing electricity, usually found in ceramics or polymers, is also present in human biomolecules.

From Science Daily

Greater efficiency and fewer replacements mean more green energy with less waste.

From Science Daily

“A lot of families,” Foster said, “the smarter one usually comes over here and the other one goes to the other school and then the family’s torn, you know what I mean?”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• callous
• dangerous
• evil
• hard
• malicious
• nasty
• rough
• ugly
• vicious
• vile