AVERAGE Synonyms: 203 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'average' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of average are mean , median , and norm . While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," 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

Q: When can 'mean' be used instead of 'average'?

The words mean and average are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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°

Q: In what contexts can 'median' take the place of 'average'?

While the synonyms median and average are close in meaning, 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

Q: Where would 'norm' be a reasonable alternative to 'average'?

In some situations, the words norm and average 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

average 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of average

as in median

being about midway between extremes of amount or size since a Chihuahua seems as impractical as a Saint Bernard, let's get a dog of more average dimensions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in normal

being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events just an average day at the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in typical

having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind the company's marketing people want to interview average teenagers to see what kinds of clothes appeal to them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

average

2 of 3

noun

ˈa-v(ə-)rij

as in norm

what is typical of a group, class, or series my cat's a cut above the average when it comes to being a finicky eater

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

average

3 of 3

verb

as in to measure

Related Words

as in to equalize

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word average distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of average are mean, median, and norm. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," 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 average?

The words mean and average are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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°

In what contexts can median take the place of average?

While the synonyms median and average are close in meaning, 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

Where would norm be a reasonable alternative to average?

In some situations, the words norm and average 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 average

Adjective

An average ticket price is $800 domestically, which is only a few hundred dollars cheaper than the average international ticket price at $1,240. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Her business bank statements, though, show average monthly deposits of $45,000 over the past 24 months. — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

Those borrowers who fell behind on their student loans and were deemed delinquent saw their FICO score decline by an average of 38 points. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 An average of more than 2,500 rapes are reported in Nepal every year, including 250 in which the victims are under the age of 10, according to data compiled by the Nepal Police. — Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

Russell Westbrook, the 2016-17 NBA MVP and one of only three players to average a triple-double for a season, announced his retirement Wednesday after 18 years. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 Cities that had their warmest Julys include Denver and Salt Lake City, as the Intermountain West had the most significant heat compared to average last month. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for average

Recent Examples of Synonyms for average

Adjective

The median family income in the Southwest zone across all six of the maps hovers between $71,000 and $75,000.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
The median California household made around $100,000 in 2025, per census data.

— Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of median

Adjective

Although Edouard is not forecast to become a hurricane, the hurricane center has warned coastal residents to closely monitor the forecast as the storm is in an area of warmer than normal water and low wind shear, which favor strengthening.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
That change was introduced to help give club staff working across transfer departments a more normal working pattern.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of normal

Adjective

Netflix has worked assiduously to burnish its reputation as a home for advertisers seeking to align themselves with its popular programs and eager to avoid the traditional model of deploying typical 30-second commercials.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
However, this gets an all-new rear suspension with leaf springs; that setup allows for a greater payload than a typical torsion beam axle.

— Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of typical

Noun

Combat was a highlight for me and an absolute departure from genre norms.

— Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
Some argue that cultural norms of male leadership and even outright discrimination keep women from top roles, while others argue that women are less ambitious than men.

— Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of norm

Verb

The minimum safe thickness is a threshold that measures a tank’s ability to contain the pressure of the liquid and support the tank’s weight, the report said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
These supernovas were used as a kind of cosmological measuring stick to uncover a mysterious force called dark energy that was causing the universe to expand — a discovery that earned the Nobel Prize in 2011.

— Joe Palca, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of measure

Adjective

Audiences embraced the films for their creeping realism and slow-building scares, which transformed ordinary bedrooms, hallways and home security cameras into places where something terrifying might be lurking just outside the frame.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
The new measure comes as Moscow and Kyiv ramp up their air campaigns, with Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory sparking fuel shortages and bringing the war closer to home for ordinary Russians.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

In proof-of-concept tests, the intense heat turned the raw materials into cement clinker within seconds, nearly 100 times faster than standard production.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Porsche also offers a carbon-ceramic brake package for those who would prefer to go that route, but the standard setup offers very little to complain about.

— Bradley Iger, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of standard

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“Average.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/average. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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