# median

/ˈmidiən/ (US) · /mˈiːdiːən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/median
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. middle number

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the middle value in a list of numbers ordered from smallest to largest.

For teachers: the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample or probability distribution.

- To find the median, we listed the test scores from lowest to highest and picked the one in the middle.
- While the mean income was skewed by a few billionaires, the median income provided a more accurate reflection of the typical household's finances.

Usage: In a set with an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two central values.

### 2. road divider

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

the area of land or a barrier that separates two sides of a busy road.

For teachers: the reserved area separating opposing lanes of traffic on a divided highway.

- The car hit the median after the driver lost control on the icy highway.
- City planners decided to plant native shrubs along the highway median to improve the aesthetic appeal and reduce headlight glare for oncoming drivers.

Teaching tip: In British English, this is almost always called the 'central reservation'.

### 3. geometry line

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a line drawn from a corner of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side.

For teachers: a line segment joining a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

- The teacher asked us to draw a median for each side of the triangle.
- The three medians of any triangle intersect at a single point called the centroid, which serves as the geometric center of the shape.

### 4. middle or central

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

located in the middle or center of something.

For teachers: situated in the middle, especially in a central or intermediate position.

- The median nerve runs down the middle of your arm to your hand.
- The researchers focused on the median strip of the forest, where the environmental conditions differed significantly from the edges.

Usage: Often used in medical or biological contexts to describe the midline of a body or organ.

## Examples

- The median house price in this city is quite high.
- Economists often prefer the median income over the average because it is not skewed by a few extremely wealthy people.
- While the mean provides a useful summary of the total data set, the median offers a more representative view of the typical experience within a highly unequal population.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.