golden mean

noun

: the medium between extremes : moderation

Examples of golden mean in a Sentence

when it comes to money, the golden mean is saving some income, while giving yourself a modest spending allowance
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The outsize date complication, meanwhile, has come to define Lange’s aesthetic, but its positioning on the dial is equally important: Located at 1 o’clock, its window is proportioned according to the golden mean of 1.618 and is machined from the same metal as the watch case. Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024 Embodied is working to achieve a kind of anthropomorphic golden mean with its bot: not so mechanical that children lose interest but not realistic enough for kids to humanize it. Webb Wright, Scientific American, 5 June 2024 The United States and other powers will gradually find the golden mean of network power: not too concentrated and not too distributed. Anne-Marie Slaughter, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2016 In many quantitative traits the 'golden mean' holds true... Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2010 The liberal individualist world then may be the world of the golden mean in between. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2012 In this world, the golden mean does not exist and equipoise is a pipe dream. Kent Sepkowitz, CNN, 5 Nov. 2022 The trajectory's holding steady, not trending to the golden mean of 2%. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2021 The result of this mechanical wizardry is the golden mean of a modern luxury conveyance. Tribune News Service, cleveland, 11 Dec. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of golden mean was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near golden mean

Cite this Entry

“Golden mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/golden%20mean. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

golden mean

noun
: the medium between extremes

More from Merriam-Webster on golden mean

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!