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

Democrats may instead be looking for someone who simply has the Sauce—a sort of inverse Trump who can win and hold voters’ attention in a Fragmented Media Landscape™️, whose perceived authenticity and realness will more than compensate for a “polarizing” personality and past or present espousal of positions that don’t necessarily match up with those of the median voter.

From Slate

Still, at a moment where the entire Democratic establishment appears to be wildly out of touch with the concerns of the median voter—a defeat that hinged on the party’s inability to articulate a vision of a more affordable everyday life—why am I being asked to solve their problem?

From Slate

County’s median age rose 2.6 years between 2012 and 2022.

From Los Angeles Times

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