average speed

noun

1. the total distance traveled divided by the total time elapsed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of average speed¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Wood is undoubtedly England's quickest bowler and, under Bazball, his skiwest average speed across a series is 88.6mph in the 2023 Ashes, with 90.4mph against West Indies a year later his highest.

Read more on BBC

The first phase of work - starting Monday - is initially focused around preparing to install temporary average speed cameras.

Read more on BBC

That beat the previous record that had stood for 14 years - a lap Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya set in a Williams with a V10 BMW engine in 2004 at an average speed of 162.95mph.

Read more on BBC

The Dutchman's time of one minute 18.792 seconds beat the lap set by Lewis Hamilton at Monza in 2020 for Mercedes by 0.095secs - at an average speed of 164.484mph.

Read more on BBC

His average speed of 84.2mph is his best since 2019.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What is average speed?

Average speed is calculated by dividing the total distance that something has traveled by the total amount of time it took it to travel that distance.Speed is how fast something is going at a particular moment. Average speed measures the average rate of speed over the extent of a trip. Average speed is usually applied to vehicles like cars, trains, and airplanes. It is often measured in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (kph).Average speed is used in all kinds of fields, including physics, astronomy, and transportation.