noun
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the state or quality of being mediocre
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a mediocre person or thing
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
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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.
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
Neither will mediocrity or the sentimentality from Jeanie Buss.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026
It left Matthew Potts in the company of Bethell, who rose above England's mediocrity to remain at the close.
From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026
At best they don’t understand the math; at worst they’re protecting a system that survives on mediocrity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
