average
n. countablen. the result you get by adding several amounts together and then dividing by the total number of amounts. It also means the usual or normal level of something.
n. the arithmetic mean of a set of values, calculated by dividing the sum of the elements by the number of elements. It also refers to a standard or level that is typical for a group or category.
The average of three, seven, and eight is six.
The student's test scores were mostly high, but a single low mark brought down her overall average for the semester.
While individual performance fluctuated throughout the season, the team's scoring average remained remarkably consistent, reflecting their disciplined approach to every match.
Etymology tree Arabic عَوَار (ʕawār) Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Proto-Afroasiatic *-t Proto-Semitic *-at- Arabic ـَة (-a) Arabic ـِيَّة (-iyya) Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya)? Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Old Italian avere? Old Italian avariabor. Old French avarie Middle French avarie Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Italic *-kos Latin -cus Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English average Not entirely certain. The oldest meaning in English is “customs duty”. Borrowed from Middle French avarie (“damage to ship or cargo”), from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria where it is first attested in the 12th century in the context of Mediterranean trade. From there most sources trace it to Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya, “damaged goods”), from عَوَار (ʕawār, “fault, blemish, defect, flaw”), from عَوِرَ (ʕawira, “to lose an eye”), but the OED gives it a Romance derivation from Italian avere (“property, goods”) or the like. The English suffix -age was added in analogy to words like damage.
From Middle English average, from Medieval Latin averagium, from aver (“horse or other beast of burden, service required from the same”) from Old English eafor (“obligation to carry goods and convey messages for one's lord”) from aferian (“to remove, take away”); + -age.
Often used with the preposition 'of' when referring to a set of numbers, or 'on' when referring to a general trend ('on average').