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mean

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noun

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as in middle
a middle point between extremes that candidate's moderate views were seen as the mean that voters were looking for

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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adjective (1)

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adjective (2)

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mean distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of mean are average, median, and norm. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes.

a high of 70° and a low of 50° give a mean of 60°

In what contexts can average take the place of mean?

Although the words average and mean have much in common, average is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures.

scored an average of 85 on tests

When could median be used to replace mean?

While the synonyms median and mean are close in meaning, median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below.

average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars

When is it sensible to use norm instead of mean?

The words norm and mean can be used in similar contexts, but norm means the average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade.

scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mean
Verb
On Episode 141 of This Week In Space, are joined by producer Anthony and our old pal Ant Pruitt to celebrate and discuss a wide variety of topics, from first space memories to our favorite space toys to what spaceflight means to each of us. Space.com Staff, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2024 Pockets are tempting to fill, and travelers often forget to fully empty them, which means setting off the alarm and holding up the security line. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
Throughout his career, Dolan emphasized that his companies always focused on providing unique content and innovative means of distributing them to consumers. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 29 Dec. 2024 His father, James Earl Carter Sr., known as Mr. Earl, was a strict disciplinarian and a conservative businessman of some means. Scott Kraft, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch plots to steal Christmas away from the holiday-loving Whos. Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 11 Dec. 2024 Last year, the high, low and mean temperatures for December were all about 5 degrees warmer than normal. Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mean 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
  • For example, just one piece of vital equipment required 130 linear feet from Macaron Queen, signifying the vertigo-inducing jump between small-scale production and any dreams of upward growth.
    Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Upon landing her new role as creative director, a ‘G’ for Georgiana was tacked onto Hunza to signify the brand’s new chapter and direction.
    Dahvi Shira, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.
    Josh Snyder, arkansasonline.com, 22 Dec. 2024
  • My literary dreams had yet to be realized, but that actually didn’t matter all that much.
    Lee Chang-dong, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Arizona prison capacity could be factor in enforcement Law enforcement officials intending to make Proposition 314 arrests may need to take into account how much detention bed space is available.
    Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2024
  • The department publicly acknowledged the security breach on Monday via a letter intended to notify lawmakers of the incident.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • That may indicate hospitals and insurers — who can now see what rivals are charging and paying — have either cut prices or demanded better rates, at least for the costliest services.
    Julie Appleby, NPR, 19 Dec. 2024
  • President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of antitrust regulators indicates that the scrutiny of Big Tech during the Biden administration will likely continue during Trump’s term.
    Owen Tedford, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Start by breaking off pieces of the outer bread and dipping them in the cheesy middle.
    Melissa Santos, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Bellinger figures to slot into the top or middle of the Bombers’ order perhaps searching for the same boost Soto received hitting in front of two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge.
    James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Of course, that St. Louis is forced to make these types of dire decisions in mid-August, and is choosing to implement such a drastic platoon, is a product of its own doing.
    Katie Woo, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
  • On Thursday, there was another closed-door House Ethics Committee meeting to debate whether to release the panel’s report on Gaetz’s seamy doings.
    Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The Chinese foreign ministry responded to that move last week by calling the bans laughable.
    Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Newsweek has contacted Russia's emergency situations ministry for comment.
    Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Patrick said in a Fox News interview that Texas also bought $12 million worth of material during a summer auction, enough to build about 4 miles of border wall.
    Ayden Runnels, Austin American-Statesman, 28 Dec. 2024
  • Tech titans had a big impact on the 2024 election, starting with Elon Musk, whose net worth exceeds $400 billion thanks to his work and investments at several tech companies, including Zip2, PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity and Neurolink.
    Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 26 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near mean

Cite this Entry

“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

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