average
Middle of pack
Common elements of meaning can be found in uses of average, whether as noun, verb, or adjective.
The core meaning is a single value that represents a summary of a range of unequal values: The average of 4, 6, and 20 is 10.
When derived mathematically, that number is technically called the mean, but colloquially, it’s known as the average.
To average a set of values is to find their mean.
Anything designated as average is intermediate in value or quality: The movie was just average; the baby’s length is average for his age.
Mathematics of basic operations
- sumAddition's result
- divideSeparate into parts
- calculateDetermine through math
- mathematicsScience of quantity and structure
statistics · median · mode · central tendency · expected value · bell curve · distribution · probability
Not worthy of comment
- ordinaryStandard, unremarkable
- mundaneCommonplace, lacking excitement
- passableMinimally sufficient quality
- adequateBarely meeting standards
so-so · uninspired · unexceptional · middling · fair · tolerable · lackluster · nothing special
Widespread and unremarkable
- usualOccurring most often
- customaryDone by convention
- normalConforming to standard
- expectedRegarded as likely
conventional · regular · mainstream · everyday · routine · generic · standard · habitual
Standard for comparison
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
- yardstickThirty-six-inch ruler
- normAccepted behavioral standard
- standardLevel of quality accepted
metric · criteria · comparison · gauge · measurement · indicator · evaluation · threshold
arithmetic
Mathematics of basic operations
mathematics · statistics · median · mode · central tendency · expected value · bell curve · distribution · probability · variance
unremarkable
Not worthy of comment
- ordinaryStandard, unremarkable
- mundaneCommonplace, lacking excitement
- passableMinimally sufficient quality
adequate · so-so · uninspired · unexceptional · middling · fair · tolerable · lackluster · nothing special · run-of-the-mill
common
Widespread and unremarkable
expected · conventional · regular · mainstream · everyday · routine · generic · standard · habitual · prevailing
baseline
Standard for comparison
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
- yardstickThirty-six-inch ruler
- normAccepted behavioral standard
standard · metric · criteria · comparison · gauge · measurement · indicator · evaluation · threshold · par
- arithmeticaddition, subtraction, multiplication, division, sum
- basic mathsubtraction, multiplying, dividing, adding, subtracting
- numbersone, two, four, three, 0
- assessmentevaluating, test, analyzing, exam, assessing
- calculationsaddition, subtraction, multiplication, division, sum
- Evaluationsevaluation, assessment, appraisal, review, rating
averageextreme
Furthest from moderate
outlier · exceptional · anomaly · abnormal · atypical
averageexceptional
Notably above the norm
excellent · outstanding · extraordinary · superior · remarkable
averageunique
Only one exists
special · extraordinary · remarkable · distinctive · uncommon
- on averageIn typical cases
- above averageBetter than the mean
- below averageUnder the norm
- average personStatistically typical individual
- average JoeUnremarkable common person
- average outConverge on typical
averaging, averages, averaged, averageness, averagely, subaverage, average Joe