median

¹ American  

[mee-dee-uhn] / ˈmi di ən /

noun

1. Arithmetic, Statistics. the middle number in a given sequence of numbers, taken as the average of the two middle numbers when the sequence has an even number of numbers.

   4 is the median of 1, 3, 4, 8, 9.

2. Geometry. a straight line from a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

3. Also called midpoint.  a vertical line that divides a histogram into two equal parts.

4. median strip.

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adjective

1. Statistics. relating to the value in the center of the distribution for an array of data.

   the median income of American households.

2. noting or relating to a plane dividing something into two equal parts, especially one dividing an animal into right and left halves.

3. situated in or relating to the middle; medial.

Median ² American  

[mee-dee-uhn] / ˈmi di ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Media, the Medes, or their language.

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noun

1. a Mede.

2. the Iranian language of ancient Media, contemporaneous with Old Persian.

median British  

/ ˈmiːdɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, situated in, or directed towards the middle

2. biology of or relating to the plane that divides an organism or organ into symmetrical parts

3. statistics of or relating to the median

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noun

1. a middle point, plane, or part

2. geometry

   1. a straight line joining one vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side See also centroid

   2. a straight line joining the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezium

3. statistics the middle value in a frequency distribution, below and above which lie values with equal total frequencies

4. statistics the middle number or average of the two middle numbers in an ordered sequence of numbers

   7 is the median of both 1, 7, 31 and 2, 5, 9, l6

5. Also called: central reservation.  the strip, often covered with grass, that separates the two sides of a highway

median Scientific  

/ mē′dē-ən /

1. In a sequence of numbers arranged from smallest to largest:

   1. The middle number, when such a sequence has an odd number of values. For example, in the sequence 3, 4, 14, 35, 280, the median is 14.

   2. The average of the two middle numbers, when such a sequence has an even number of values. For example, in the sequence 4, 8, 10, 56, the median is 9 (the average of 8 and 10).

2. A line joining a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

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median ¹ Cultural  

1. The point in a series at which half of the values or units of the series are higher and half lower.

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median ² Cultural  

1. In statistics, the middle value of a set of numbers or data points; half the figures will fall below the median and half above. (See average; compare mean and mode.)

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Usage

What’s the difference between median, mean, mode, and average? In the context of mathematics and statistics, the median is the middle number in a set of values when those values are arranged from smallest to largest. In contrast, the word mean refers to what’s informally called the average—the sum of a set of values divided by the number of values. The mode of a set of values is the most frequently repeated value in the set. The word average is of course also very commonly used in more general ways. In math, though, it’s helpful to use more specific terms when determining the most representative or common value in a set of numbers. To illustrate the difference, let’s look at an example set of seven values: 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9. To get the mean of this set, you’d add up all the values (2+3+3+4+6+8+9=35) and then divide that total by the number of values (7), resulting in a mean of 5. This is what most people are referring to when they refer to the average of some set of numbers. To find the median, you have to find the one that’s sequentially in the middle. In a set of seven numbers arranged in increasing value, the median is the fourth number (since there are three before and three after). In this set (2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), the median is 4. When a set has an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values. The mode is simply the value that shows up the most. In the example set, the mode is 3, since it occurs twice and all the other values occur only once. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between median, mean, mode, and average.

Other Word Forms

• medianly adverb
• postmedian adjective
• premedian noun
• submedian adjective

Etymology

Origin of median¹

First recorded in 1535–45, median is from the Latin word mediānus in the middle. See medium, -an

Origin of Median²

First recorded in 1595–1605; Medi(a) + -an

Explanation

Median means middle. When a strip of grass divides one direction of a highway from another, it's called a median because it runs through the middle. Median comes from the Latin word medius, which also means middle. In math, the median is a number in the middle of a list. In the set 2, 3, 5, 10, 25, the median is 5. The statistical median is often linked to the idea of an average. A town's average income might seem high if there are two extremely rich people who live there. The median will tell you the income of the person halfway through the list.

Example Sentences

A survey of people who moved to the state from 2019 through 2023 found they had household incomes well above the state median, according to the state’s Department of Economic & Community Development.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

In October, the median analyst expected earnings of $19 a share in 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

A 9.5% increase would pass costs to renters, who make up two-thirds of residents, further worsening the housing crisis in a city where the median one-bedroom monthly rent exceeds $3,700.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Not only are they many workers’ bosses, but with median salaries of $160,139 for elementary schools and $174,628 for higher grades, they make a lot more money.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Hamilton kept plowing through the water and when the rain lightened he veered up the side of the median and screeched back onto the highway and kept going.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos