noun
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the state or quality of being mediocre
-
a mediocre person or thing
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mediocrity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English mediocrite, from Middle French mediocrite, from Latin mediocritāt-, stem of mediocritās “middle state, moderation”; equivalent to mediocre + -ity
Compare meaning
How does mediocrity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The noun mediocrity means the quality of being average or ordinary. You can't be great at everything — in some areas, we all fall into mediocrity. Mediocrity, pronounced "me-dee-AH-crih-tee," has Latin parts that together literally mean "halfway up the mountain." You can see how it still applies — in climbing the mountain — or ladder — of success, mediocrity is in the middle, neither leading the pack nor sprawling on ground, giving up. Such of person of this middle-level of success can also be called a mediocrity. That's a second definition of the word.
Vocabulary lists containing mediocrity
A Word's-Eye View of Presidential Candidates in 2016: Campaign Announcements
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The Fire Next Time
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Neil Simon (1927 - 2018) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It was all building up to him someday returning as the coach who could lift American men’s soccer out of mediocrity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The answer to that question is in the mediocrity that most of these people are trying to hide, often even from themselves.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026
But this section is where the album drifts into mediocrity, with a handful of meandering, mid-tempo love songs that don't really add much to the overall package.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
Neither will mediocrity or the sentimentality from Jeanie Buss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2026
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
The individuals who survive and flourish in such a system are sycophants and mediocrities, and those who have learned to navigate the Great Leader’s moods are far from the most qualified, talented or honorable.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026
The partition that once sealed out the cranks and mediocrities has been permanently sundered.
From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026
But they were also politicians, self-serving and ambitious, often well-born mediocrities flying high above their general level of talent.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2022
The hothouse atmosphere of festivals can be misleading and turn mediocrities into events, certainly, but the noisy clamor of such hype is always outweighed by the joys of experiencing discoveries and revelations with others.
From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2022
It’s why picking the right candidate for a job is so difficult and why, on more occasions than we may care to admit, utter mediocrities sometimes end up in positions of enormous responsibility.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
