WordGarden.ioaverage
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈævrɪdʒ/
US
- /ˈævərɪdʒ/
Meanings
Adjective
ordinary or typical rather than unusual
only moderately good; not especially impressive
Noun
the arithmetic mean of a set of numbers
Verb
to calculate or amount to a mean value over a set or period
Beyond the definition
Think about a classroom full of students taking a test. The "average" score isn't necessarily the highest or the lowest, but the number that best represents what most students achieved. It's the middle ground, what you expect to see most of the time. We use "average" all the time—average temperature, average height, even an average day. Sometimes it means "ordinary" or "not exceptional." A perfectly ripe peach is a treat, but an average peach is... well, just a peach.
In everyday speech, people also use "average" as a verb: "The bus usually arrives in about 20 minutes," meaning it usually comes at the typical amount of time (it averages about 20 minutes).
"Average" has several meanings, but at its core it describes something typical or representative of a group. The most common understanding comes from mathematics: the average (or mean) is calculated by adding up a set of numbers and dividing by how many numbers there are. For example, if three friends earn $20, $30, and $40 respectively, their average income is .
However, "average" isn't always about numbers. It can also mean ordinary, typical, or of a medium quality. You might describe a movie as "an average film," meaning it wasn't particularly good or bad, just okay. Or you could say, "The average lifespan for dogs is 10 to 13 years."
Sometimes "average" implies something commonplace or unremarkable. A person described as "just average" isn't necessarily lacking in talent; they simply don't stand out from the crowd. It can even downplay something: "It was an average harvest this year," meaning it wasn't particularly bountiful, but not a disaster either.
So whether you're calculating a mathematical mean, describing a typical experience, or acknowledging something ordinary, "average" points to what is most common, expected, or representative of the whole.
Examples
- 1
Rent
The average rent in this area has gone up again.
- 2
School performance
He was an average student, but he worked hard.
- 3
Time amount
Children here spend an average of two hours a day online.
- Patternan average of + amount
around that amount when all the numbers are counted together
- 4
Typical result
On average, the train is about ten minutes late.
- Phraseon average
usually, based on the typical result
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Test scores
Her test scores are well above average.
- 6
Sales performance
Sales were below average last month.
- 7
Scoring
The three judges' scores are averaged to produce a final result.
- 8
Business rate
Over the whole year, the company averaged 500 orders a week.
- 9
Long-term balance
The good days and bad days should average out in the long run.
- Phraseaverage out
become more even overall
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- average person
- average household
- above average
- below average
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- averagenounverbadjective
Forms
- averagedpast tenseverbnounadjective
- averaging-ing formverbnounadjective
- averagespluralnounverbadjective