median 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of mediannext
1
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size the median price of a home in the area

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in middle
occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes determine the median point between your two speakers, and test your stereo system from there

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

median

2 of 2

noun

as in normal

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word median distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of median are average, mean, and norm. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below.

average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars

When would average be a good substitute for median?

The meanings of average and median largely overlap; however, average is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures.

scored an average of 85 on tests

When can mean be used instead of median?

The words mean and median can be used in similar contexts, but mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes.

a high of 70° and a low of 50° give a mean of 60°

When might norm be a better fit than median?

In some situations, the words norm and median are roughly equivalent. However, norm means the average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade.

scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of median
Adjective
The median price of an existing home was $417,500 in September, according to the National Association of Realtors, a real estate trade group. — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,jessica Dickler,sarah Agostino,greg Iacurci,lorie Konish,annie Nova,sharon Epperson,stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 The median first-time homebuyer’s age reached a record 40 in the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 survey. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
Runner’s salary is 5% higher than the median for city managers in the Sacramento region, according to the staff report. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Wealthier boomers aged into the 75-and-older bracket between surveys, lifting its median. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for median
Recent Examples of Synonyms for median
  1. average
  2. middle
  3. normal
  4. halfway
  5. medial
  6. intermediate
  7. mid
Adjective
  • But even just our average rainfall, that's typically when the lake recharges is during the winter and early spring.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But, sea level rise is pushing them higher and higher, and experts say these higher-than-usual tides offer a taste of what an average day could look like in decades to comes, when seas are a few feet higher.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of average
Adjective
  • Picture Tahoe City’s middle-aged men, wide-eyed in the should-I-pee hour, shadow-climbing the same fifty-seven moves on the same granite face.
    — Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Panthers honored Luke Kuechly at halftime as the former middle linebacker received his Hall of Fame ring as part of a busy afternoon.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of middle
Noun
  • The company has been very good about adjusting to the new normal too, which is great.
    — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Three years after Israel’s invasion, Gazans are tentatively building a new normal in the rubble of their old lives.
    — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • The 24-year-old, like Gordon, who replaced him in the second half, offered energetic pressing, even sprinting from close to the halfway line to close down the goalkeeper at one point.
    — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 26-year-old information technology administrator consumed a Red Bull energy drink around the film's halfway mark to stay alert.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Definition of halfway
Adjective
  • The most unique aspect of the Spike Racer is its intentional branding, which does not include any large lateral or medial logos, instead letting the shoe’s design do the talking.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Despite its bond with performance, cringe finds its medial match in such figurative painting.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of medial
Adjective
  • Classes range from beginner-friendly lessons, like learning how to use a machine, to teaching intermediate skills, like hemming pants or installing a zipper.
    — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • These systems, which operate at intermediate heat between 400°C and 650°C, need significantly less electricity to break chemical bonds.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of intermediate
Adjective
  • The New Braunfels, Texas, resident kept a frenetic touring schedule, headlining major Texas venues and mid-sized dance halls around the country, with occasional arena or amphitheater stops opening for Koe Wetzel thrown in.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Mohammad Mohammadi, 36, said a trip to the supermarket can burn through half a monthly mid-range salary of 400 million rials (roughly $150).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of mid

Browse Nearby Words

medial
median
medians
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Cite this Entry

“Median.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/median. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on median

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about median

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