on the average

Idioms  

1. As a rule, usually, as in On the average, about 15 percent of the freshmen class will drop out before graduation. This expression uses average in the sense of “a norm or standard.” [First half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

But that responsibility of figuring out what’s truly safe and unsafe shouldn’t fall on the average consumer, Benesh emphasizes.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Costs were down 5% on the average of the prior two quarters, which helps support Storey’s upgraded EPS forecasts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

But the Dow comprises only 30 companies, weighted by share prices, so a sharp change in an expensive stock can exert strong pressure on the average.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

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 • Dec. 23, 2025

Archaeologists have demonstrated that the first farmers in many areas were smaller and less well nourished, suffered from more serious diseases, and died on the average at a younger age than the hunter-gatherers they replaced.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond