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Synonyms

golden mean

American  

noun

  1. the perfect moderate course or position that avoids extremes; the happy medium.

  2. golden section.

golden mean British  

noun

  1. the middle course between extremes

  2. another term for golden section

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
golden mean Cultural  

  1. The desirable middle ground between any two extremes, according to the philosophy of Aristotle.

Etymology

Origin of golden mean

First recorded in 1580–90

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.

‘A golden mean exists between security and deprivation.’

From MarketWatch • Dec. 11, 2025

In this way, the virtuous action will be the golden mean, neither too much nor too little.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

The result was a fresh argument for a form of pest control — a golden mean of organic and industrial.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2017

She claims that teams must strike an optimal balance between diversity and homogeneity and that teams that fall too far on either side of the golden mean win fewer games.

From Slate • May 2, 2017

It is the job of your real-estate agent, of course, to find the golden mean.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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.