Median
/ˈmiːdiən/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe middle number in a sorted, ascending or descending, list of numbers. If there is an even number of observations, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.
/ˈmiːdiən/
The middle value in a set of numbers.
To find the median, the numbers must first be put in order.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a line of kids sorted by height. The median kid is the one right in the middle. It's the same with numbers; you find the middle one.
👶 For kids: The middle number in a list of numbers that is in order.
More Examples
The median score on the test was higher than the average score.
The statistician calculated the median household income for the study.
How It's Used
"The median of the dataset {1, 3, 7, 9, 9} is 7."
"The median income in the city is $60,000."
Situated in the middle; relating to or containing a median.
/ˈmiːdiən/
Relating to or denoting a median.
The median plane divides the body into left and right halves.
💡 Simply: If something is 'median,' it's like being right in the middle. Think of a median strip on a road: it separates the lanes.
👶 For kids: Being in the middle of something.
More Examples
The median artery supplies blood to a specific area.
The median age of the population is increasing.
How It's Used
"The median of a triangle is a line segment from a vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side."
"The median nerve runs along the center of the forearm."
From Latin *medianus* ('middle'), derived from *medius* ('middle').
The word 'median' and its usage in statistical analysis became prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the growth of statistical methods.
Memory tip
Think of the median as the number that sits in the 'middle' of all the numbers.