average

plural averages

1. mathematicsAny measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.First known use c. 1735

   You need to show some averages in an executive summary, show some samples of raw data in the document body, and move the full raw data to an appendix.

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   In conclusion, it may savour of anticlimax to mention that from May 22 the famous "Sud Express," over the same route, has been covering the 359.7 miles from Paris Austerlitz to Bordeaux in 4 hr. 59 min. daily, at a start-to-stop average of 72.2 m.p.h., and that the northbound train has been taking 5 hr. 7 min. for an average of 70.3.

   1955 June, 'Mercury', “Over 200 Miles Per Hour”, in Railway Magazine, page 380

   1. mathematicsThe arithmetic mean.

      The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18.

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      But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 (the average of the 15 poorest countries’ own poverty lines, measured in 2005 dollars and adjusted for differences in purchasing power): people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short.

      2013 June 1, “Towards the end of poverty”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, archived from the original on 05 Sep 2024, page 11

      Synonyms: mean

2. lawA financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.First known use 17th c.

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   Historically, the courts have allowed a general average claim only where the loss occurred as a result of the ship being in immediate peril.[…]The court awarded the carrier the general average claim. It noted that “a ship′s master should not be discouraged from taking timely action to avert a disaster,” and need not be in actual peril to claim general average.

   2008, Filiberto Agusti, Beverley Earle, Richard Schaffer, Filiberto Agusti, Beverley Earle, International Business Law and Its Environment, page 219

   1. datedlawProportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.
   2. obsoletelawCustoms duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.
3. hobbiesAn indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.

   batting average

comparative more average · superlative most average · abbreviation av. · abbreviation ave. · abbreviation avg.

1. not comparableConstituting or relating to the average.

   The average age of the participants was 18.5.

   Synonyms: mean, expectation

2. Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.

   I soon found I was only an average chess player.

   Synonyms: comme ci comme ça, mediocre, medium, middling, unremarkable, so-so, comme ci comme ça, crappy · Antonyms: extraordinary

3. Typical.

   The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product.

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   We tend to think that exceptionally attractive men and women are outstanding but the fact is that they are more average than most.

   2002, Andy Turnbull, The Synthetic Beast: When Corporations Come to Life, page 12

   Things that never would occur to more average children, with and without AD/HD, will give these children nightmares.

   2004, Deirdre V. Lovecky, Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits, page 75

   In other words, highly attractive people like highly attractive communicators and more average people like more average communicators.

   2009, Susan T. Fiske, Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology, page 73

   Synonyms: conventional, normal, regular, standard, typical, usual, bog-standard, basic

4. informalNot outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor.

   In the piano stool there was a stack of music, mostly sentimental ballads intended to be sung by people with very average voices accompanied by not very competent pianists.

   2009, Carn Tiernan, On the Back of the Other Side, page 62

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   The graphics, sound, and most everything else are all very average. However, the main thing that brings this game down are the controls - they feel very clumsy and awkward at times.

   2002, Andy Slaven, Video Game Bible, 1985-2002, page 228

   But what the vast majority of the populace doesn′t realise is the fact that he′s only on TV because he became famous from one case, Winona Ryder's, which, by the way, he lost because he′s only a very average attorney.

   2005, Brad Knight, Laci Peterson: The Whole Story: Laci, Scott, and Amber's Deadly Love Triangle, page 308

   Synonyms: ordinary, unexceptional, abysmal, atrocious, awful, bad, chronic, coarse

present singular third person averages · participle present averaging · participle past averaged · past averaged

1. transitiveTo compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.

   If you average 10, 20, and 24, you get 18.

2. transitiveOver a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.

   I averaged 75% in my examinations this year.

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   The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C.

   The five roller-bearing A1s are now averaging 120,000 miles between shopping; this figure is an improvement of about 50 per cent on the norm of other ex-L.N.E. Pacific types.

   1961 November 28, “Talking of Trains: The roller-bearing A1s”, in Trains Illustrated, page 643

   This comes after the center topped the charts last year, becoming the first player at the position since four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal to win the scoring title and the first center to average over 30 PPG in 40 years – Embiid averaged 30.6.

   2023 April 5, Thomas Schlacher, “Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokić vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo: What’s the latest in the race to become the NBA MVP?”, in CNN

3. transitiveTo divide among a number, according to a given proportion.

   to average a loss

4. intransitiveTo be, generally or on average.

   Gulls average much larger than terns, with stouter build […]

   1872, Elliott Coues, Key to North American Birds

plural averages

1. UKobsoletelawThe feudal service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.