average speed

American  

noun

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

---

Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of average speed

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

"I was scared out of my wits," said Austria's long-retired Fritz Strobl of his record-setting Kitzbuehel descent in 1min 51.58sec in 1997 -- his average speed was an astonishing 106.9km/h.

From Barron's

The Social Security Administration on Thursday highlighted service changes made in the past year, saying 65% more calls were answered in fiscal 2025 than in the prior year, with the average speed of answer for the 800-number being in the single digits of hold time.

From MarketWatch

The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General said the agency’s average speed of answer was only seven minutes in September, down from 12 minutes the same time the year before and an improvement from fiscal year 2025’s overall peak of 30 minutes in January.

From MarketWatch

The report’s conclusion relies on the average speed of answer, which includes callbacks so that callers are not actively waiting on the phone.

From MarketWatch

The average speed for a bus in Scotland is now 11.3mph, down from 14.9mph two years ago, according to industry data.

From BBC