average

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. normal, norm, mean, standard. —adj. mean, normal, ordinary. See unimportance, mediocrity, generality. Ant., exceptional, extraordinary, outstanding.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

Syn. ordinary, normal, medium, mediocre; see common 1 , normal 1 .

n.

1. [A mean]

Syn. mean, midpoint, standard, center, median, norm, middle, normal, the usual, typical kind, rule, par, common run, general run.

Ant. extreme*, highest, lowest, exception.

2. [A score]

Syn. proportion, percentage, tally, aggregate; see score 1 .

• on (the) average,

Syn. usually, generally, commonly, ordinarily; see regularly 1 .

Syn.- average refers to the result obtained by dividing a sum by the number of quantities added [ the average of 7, 9, 17 is 33 divide 3, or 11 ] and in extended use is applied to the usual or ordinary kind, instance, etc.; mean commonly designates a figure intermediate between two extremes [ the mean temperature for a day with a high of 56? and a low of 34? is 45? ] and figuratively implies moderation [ the golden mean] ; the median is the middle number or point in a series arranged in order of size [ the median grade in the group 50, 55, 85, 88, 92 is 85; the average is 74 ] ; norm implies a standard of average performance for a given group [ a child below the norm for his age in reading comprehension ] v.

Syn. compute an average, take the average, strike a balance, reduce to a mean, split the difference, equate, equalize, pair off.

• average out,

Syn. stabilize, balance, arrive at an average; see equalize .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

norm, par, standard, mean.

II

a.

ordinary, typical, usual, common, standard, *garden variety, middling, intermediate, fair, moderate, median, run-of-the-mill, so-so, everyday.

ANT.: exceptional, above par, extraordinary

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun Something, as a type, number, quantity, or degree, that represents a midpoint between extremes on a scale of valuation: mean3, median, medium, norm, par. See USUAL. II adjective 1. Of moderately good quality but less than excellent: acceptable, adequate, all right, common, decent, fair, fairish, goodish, moderate, passable, respectable, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable. Informal: OK, tidy. See GOOD. 2. Commonly encountered: common, commonplace, general, normal, ordinary, typical, usual. See SURPRISE. 3. Being of no special quality or type: common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, formulaic, garden, garden-variety, indifferent, mediocre, ordinary, plain, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, stock, undistinguished, unexceptional, unremarkable. See GOOD, USUAL.