moving average

American  

noun

Statistics.

1. one of a succession of averages of data from a time series, where each average is calculated by successively shifting the interval by the same period of time.

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moving average British  

noun

1. statistics (of a sequence of values) a derived sequence of the averages of successive subsequences of a given number of members, often used in time series to even out short-term fluctuations and make a trend clearer

   the 3-term moving average of 4, 6, 8, 7, 9, 8 is 6, 7, 8

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Etymology

Origin of moving average

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

The index is even further above its 200-day moving average, a technical signal that smooths out additional volatility.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

MarketWatch: So how should investors actually use the 200-day moving average as a go-to-cash signal?

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Momentum continued to improve late in the week, with the stock reclaiming its 21-day exponential moving average on May 21 and testing the 50-day simple moving average on May 22.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

And trend trading means following price action systematically, using signals like a five-day or 20-day moving average crossover to go long, and locking in profits when the trend breaks.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

On Monday, the stock showed notable relative strength, rising 3.2% and easily outperforming the IGV’s 1.2% advance while also reclaiming its 50-day simple moving average.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026