Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense averages, present participle averaging, past tense, past participle averaged
1. countable noun
An average is the result that you get when you add two or more numbers together and divide the total by the number of numbers you addedtogether.
Take the average of those ratios and multiply by a hundred. [+ of]
Average is also an adjective.
The average price of goods rose by just 2.2%.
The average age of the women interviewed was only 21.5.
2. singular noun
You use average to refer to a number or size that varies but is always approximately the same.
It takes an average of ten weeks for a house sale to be completed. [+ of]
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
An average person or thing is typical or normal.
The average adult man burns 1,500 to 2,000 calories per day.
Packaging is about a third of what is found in an average British dustbin.
Synonyms: usual, common, standard, general More Synonyms of average
4. singular noun
An amount or quality that is the average is the normal amount or quality for a particular group of things or people.
Most areas suffered more rain than usual, with Northern Ireland getting double theaverage for the month.
Average is also an adjective.
£2.20 for a coffee is average.
...a woman of average height.
5. adjective
Something that is average is neither very good nor very bad, usually when you had hoped it would be better.
I was only average academically.
Synonyms: mediocre, fair, ordinary, moderate More Synonyms of average
averagelyadverb [ADVERB adjective/adverb, ADVERB after verb]
Most children are not geniuses or stars. They just do averagely well.
The songs are performed averagely, although the band seem to be enjoying themselves.
6. verb
To average a particular amount means to do, get, or produce that amount as an average over aperiod of time.
We averaged 42 miles per hour. [VERB noun]
...pay increases averaging 9.75%. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: make on average, be on average, even out to, do on average More Synonyms of average
7.
See on average/on an average
8.
See on average
9. law of averages
Phrasal verbs:
See average out
More Synonyms of average
average in British English
(ˈævərɪdʒ, ˈævrɪdʒ)
noun
1.
the typical or normal amount, quality, degree, etc
above average in intelligence
2. Also called: arithmetic mean
the result obtained by adding the numbers or quantities in a set and dividing the total by the number of members in the set
the average of 3, 4, and 8 is 5
3.
(of a continuously variable ratio, such as speed) the quotient of the differences between the initial and final values of the two quantities that make up the ratio
his average over the journey was 30 miles per hour
4. maritime law
a.
a loss incurred or damage suffered by a ship or its cargo at sea
b.
the equitable apportionment of such loss among the interested parties
5. (often plural) stock exchange
a simple or weighted average of the prices of a selected group of securities computed in order to facilitate market comparisons
6. on average
adjective
7.
usual or typical
8.
mediocre or inferior
his performance was only average
9.
constituting a numerical average
the average age
an average speed
10.
approximately typical of a range of values
the average contents of a matchbox
verb
11. (transitive)
to obtain or estimate a numerical average of
12. (transitive)
to assess the general quality of
13. (transitive)
to perform or receive a typical number of
to average eight hours' work a day
14. (transitive)
to divide up proportionately
they averaged the profits among the staff
15. (transitive)
to amount to or be on average
the children averaged 15 years of age
16. (intransitive) stock exchange
to purchase additional securities in a holding whose price has fallen (average down) or risen (average up) in anticipation of a speculative profit after further increases in price
Derived forms
averagely (ˈaveragely)
adverb
averageness (ˈaverageness)
noun
Word origin
C15 averay loss arising from damage to ships or cargoes (shared equitably among all concerned;hence the modern sense), from Old Italian avaria, ultimately from Arabic awār damage, blemish
average in American English
(ˈævərɪdʒ; ˈævrɪdʒ)
noun
1.
the numerical result obtained by dividing the sum of two or more quantities by the number of quantities; an arithmetic mean
2.
a.
grade-point average
b.
an approximation of this
an average of C in French
3.
usual or normal kind, amount, quality, rate, etc.
an intelligence above the average
4.
a number or value of a set of values carefully defined to typify the set, as a median or mode
5. US
batting average
6. Maritime
a.
a loss incurred by damage to a ship at sea or to its cargo
b.
an incurring of such loss
c.
the equitable division of such loss among the interested parties
d.
a charge arising from such loss
e.
any of various small charges paid by the master of a ship, as for pilotage or towage
adjective
7.
constituting an average
the average speed is high
8.
intermediate in value, rate, etc.; hence, normal or ordinary
an average student
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈaveraged or ˈaveraging
9.
to be or amount to on an average
the children average six years of age
10.
to buy or sell additional fixed amounts, as of shares of stock, at lower or higher prices over time so as to get a better average price
usually with down or up
11.
to invest, as in shares of stock, fixed amounts of money at regular intervals so as to buy more at lower prices and less at higher prices
usually in phrase dollar (cost) averaging
verb transitive
12.
to calculate the average or mean of
13.
to do, take, etc. on an average
to average six hours of sleep a night
14.
to divide proportionately among more than two
they averaged the loss among themselves
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈnormal
Idioms:
average out
on (the) average
SYNONYMY NOTE: average refers to the result obtained by dividing a sum by the number of quantities added[the average of 7, 9, 17 is 33 ÷ 3, or 11] and in extended use is applied to the usual or ordinary kind, instance, etc.; mean1 commonly designates a figure intermediate between two extremes [the mean temperature for a day with a high of 56° and a low of 34° is 45°] and figuratively implies moderation [the golden mean]; the median is the middle number or point in a series arranged in order of size [the median grade in the group 50, 55, 85, 88, 92 is 85; the average is 74]; norm implies a standard of average performance for a given group [a child below the norm for his age in reading comprehension]
Word origin
altered (by assoc. with ME average, money rent paid in place of service by the tenant with his horses < aver, draft horse) < OFr avarie, damage to ship or goods, mooring charges < OIt avaria < Ar ʿawār, damaged goods; order of main sense development (in ), average (sense 6) average (sense 6a), average (sense 6) average (sense 6c), average (sense 1), average (sense 2), etc.
Examples of 'average' in a sentence
average
We drank on average just a third of a glass a week.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We are an average family with an average house.
The Sun (2016)
No wonder a higher than average number of these marriages ended in divorce.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Is it twice a month on average?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Average wages are growing almost three times as fast.
The Sun (2016)
Mixed fleet crew earn just over the minimum wage and below the national average.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The average cost of the holiday was 4,000.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Ours last year averaged 13 % across the various accounts.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
That adds up to average pay of 73,000.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They are running at an average of just under one house per fortnight on active sites.
The Sun (2010)
The commercial expeditions argue that they already pay many multiples of the average wage for the area.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The south cooled down significantly and temperatures are set to remain around or below average this week.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Details of the gap between highly paid bureaucrats and staff on average salaries will also be published.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Find the average temperature by adding the three figures together and dividing by three.
Chaitow, Leon Body Odour (1994)
The interior is spacious and a cut above the class average in terms of quality.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But ratings have dropped by a million to an average of five million.
The Sun (2007)
We used to be an average size eight for men and four for women.
The Sun (2014)
Each team will get an average of five days between matches.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Our average age was eighteen years one month.
Len Deighton Bomber
But temperatures well below average are predicted for next week.
The Sun (2014)
This is more than two hundred times the average wage and some fifty times the salary of domestic airline pilots.
Low, Nicholas Politics, Planning and the State (1990)
Many of us will be left with a festive debt hangover which takes an average of three months to pay off.
The Sun (2013)
The average height of French soldiers increased by a centimetre in a generation.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Five minutes is a good average, by the way.
The Sun (2009)
The cost of care averages about 1,000 a week.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They are deprived of an average two hours' sleep a night.
The Sun (2007)
The average price paid by firms when people click on their ads is down 15 per cent in a year.
The Sun (2012)
The trial results show that people fitted with it lost on average 30% of their excess weight in a year.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The average house price in London is now 300,000.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
average
British English: average /ˈævərɪdʒ; ˈævrɪdʒ/ ADJECTIVE
If you describe a figure as average, you mean that it represents a numerical average.
The average price of goods rose by just 2.2%.
American English: average
Arabic: مُعَدَّل
Brazilian Portuguese: médio
Chinese: 平均的
Croatian: prosječan
Czech: průměrný
Danish: gennemsnitlig
Dutch: gemiddeld
European Spanish: medio promedio
Finnish: keskimääräinen
French: moyen
German: durchschnittlich
Greek: μέσος
Italian: medio
Japanese: 平均の
Korean: 평균의
Norwegian: gjennomsnittlig
Polish: przeciętny
European Portuguese: médio
Romanian: mediu
Russian: средний
Latin American Spanish: medio promedio
Swedish: genomsnittlig
Thai: โดยเฉลี่ย
Turkish: ortalama
Ukrainian: середній
Vietnamese: trung bình
British English: average /ˈævərɪdʒ; ˈævrɪdʒ/ NOUN
An average is the result that you get when you add two or more numbers together and divide the total by the number of numbers you added together.
Take the average of those ratios and multiply by a hundred.
American English: average
Arabic: مُعَدَّل
Brazilian Portuguese: média
Chinese: 平均数
Croatian: prosjek
Czech: průměr
Danish: gennemsnit
Dutch: gemiddelde
European Spanish: promedio
Finnish: keskiarvo
French: moyenne statistiques
German: Durchschnitt
Greek: μέσος όρος
Italian: media
Japanese: 平均
Korean: 평균
Norwegian: gjennomsnitt
Polish: średnia
European Portuguese: média
Romanian: medie
Russian: среднее арифметическое
Latin American Spanish: promedio
Swedish: genomsnitt
Thai: ค่าเฉลี่ย
Turkish: ortalama
Ukrainian: середнє число
Vietnamese: mức trung bình
British English: average VERB
To average a particular amount means to do, get, or produce that amount as an average over a period of time.
We averaged 42 miles per hour.
American English: average
Brazilian Portuguese: alcançar uma média de
Chinese: 平均为
European Spanish: hacer un promedio de
French: atteindre en moyenne
German: einen Durchschnitt erreichen von
Italian: fare in media
Japanese: 平均する
Korean: 평균 ~이다
European Portuguese: alcançar uma média de
Latin American Spanish: hacer un promedio de
All related terms of 'average'
average Joe
An average Joe is an average or ordinary man.
average out
If a set of numbers average out to a particular figure or if you average them out to that figure, their average is calculated to be that figure.
on average
If you say that something is true on average , you mean that it is generally true.
average speed
a scalar measure of the rate of movement of a body expressed as the distance travelled divided by the time taken
goal average
the number of goals scored by a team divided by the number of goals it has conceded
average clause
a clause in an insurance policy that distributes the insurance among several items, usually in proportion to their value
average family
A family is a group of people who are related to each other, especially parents and their children.
average growth
The growth of something such as an industry, organization, or idea is its development in size, wealth , or importance .
average income
A person's or organization's income is the money that they earn or receive, as opposed to the money that they have to spend or pay out.
average length
The length of an event, activity, or situation is the period of time from beginning to end for which something lasts or during which something happens .
average payout
A payout is a sum of money, especially a large one, that is paid to someone, for example by an insurance company or as a prize.
average premium
A premium is a sum of money that you pay regularly to an insurance company for an insurance policy .
average revenue
the total receipts from sales divided by the number of units sold, frequently employed in price theory in conjunction with marginal revenue
average salary
A salary is the money that someone is paid each month by their employer , especially when they are in a profession such as teaching , law, or medicine.
batting average
in baseball , a figure expressing the average batting efficiency of a player or team , figured by dividing the number of base hits by the number of official at-bats
general average
loss or damage to a ship or its cargo that is shared among the shipowners and all the cargo owners
moving average
(of a sequence of values) a derived sequence of the averages of successive subsequences of a given number of members, often used in time series to even out short-term fluctuations and make a trend clearer
Nikkei average
an index of prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
average adjuster
a person who calculates average claims , esp for marine insurance
average audience
The audience for a television or radio programme consists of all the people who watch or listen to it.
average deviation
the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
average household
A household is all the people in a family or group who live together in a house.
fielding average
a figure expressing the average fielding efficiency of a player or team , figured by dividing the number of putouts and assists by the number of putouts, assists, and errors
particular average
partial damage to or loss of a ship or its cargo affecting only the shipowner or one cargo owner
slugging average
a measure of the effectiveness of a batter , obtained by dividing the total bases reached by hitting by the number of official times at bat and carrying out the result to three decimal places. A batter making 275 total bases in 500 times at bat has a slugging average of .550
weighted average
an average calculated by taking into account not only the frequencies of the values of a variable but also some other factor such as their variance . The weighted average of observed data is the result of dividing the sum of the products of each observed value, the number of times it occurs, and this other factor by the total number of observations
average consumption
The consumption of food or drink is the act of eating or drinking something, or the amount that is eaten or drunk.
Dow-Jones average
a daily index of stock-exchange prices based on the average price of a selected number of securities
earned run average
the average number of earned runs allowed by a pitcher for each nine innings pitched
on (the) average
as an average quantity, rate , etc.
grade point average
a mark of a student's academic achievement which is the average of all the grades that they have been awarded during the course of their studies
Nikkei Stock Average
an index of prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
on average/on an average
You say on average or on an average to indicate that a number is the average of several numbers .
slugging percentage
a figure indicating the average number of bases advanced by a batter for each official turn at bat
Dow Jones industrial average
a stock market index based upon the current prices of thirty selected industrial stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange
weighted average cost of capital
The weighted average cost of capital is the cost of capital that is adjusted according to the percentages of debt financing and equity financing.
mean deviation
the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
mean deviation from the mean
the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
mean deviation from the median
the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
Chinese translation of 'average'
average
(ˈævərɪdʒ)
n(c)
(Math, = mean) 平均数(數) (píngjūnshù) (个(個), gè)
the average (for sth/sb)(某物/某人的)平均水平 ((mǒuwù/mǒurén de) píngjūn shuǐpíng) (个(個), gè)
adj
(Math) 平均的 (píngjūn de)
(= ordinary) 普通的 (pǔtōng de)
(= mediocre) 平庸的 (píngyōng de)
vt
平均为(為) (píngjūn wéi)
on average平均 (píngjūn)
an average of ten days平均10天左右 (píngjūn shí tiān zuǒyòu)