median
median Lexical Profile
median Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The middle value in a mathematically sorted data set, separating the higher half from the lower half.
"Since there were highly skewed outlier salaries in the company, the median was a better indicator of typical pay than the average."
North American A strip of land, physical barrier, or paved area separating opposing lanes of traffic on a divided road or highway.
"The driver lost control on the icy bridge and slid into the grassy median."
A straight line segment drawn from any vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.
"In geometry class, the students learned that the three medians of any triangle always intersect at a single point called the centroid."
Word Nuance & Usage
In statistics, 'median' is frequently confused with 'mean' (the mathematical average) and 'mode' (the most frequently occurring value); it strictly refers to the exact middle value of a mathematically sorted dataset.
• Rhymes for median
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'medianus' meaning 'of or in the middle', derived from 'medius' (middle). It entered English in the late 16th century.