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.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.