median

Everyday

1. In maths, the median is the middle number when a list of numbers is put in order. tree →
2. (UK, Australia) The median strip is the strip of land between the two sides of a road. tree →
3. In geometry, a median is a line from a corner of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side. tree →

In the lessons

In school maths with mean, mode and range. In news: «median income» or «median age». On roads: the median (US: median strip).

Examples

• The median of 2, 5 and 9 is 5. tree →
• Put the numbers in order before you find the median. tree →
• For 3, 4, 8 and 10 the median is 6, halfway between 4 and 8. tree →
• The median age of the class is 10. tree →
• The car hit the median of the highway. tree →
• The median of a triangle goes to the middle of a side. tree →

Note

Maths: put the numbers in order; with an odd count, the median is the middle one; with an even count, it is halfway between the two middle ones. Do not confuse with the mean (average), mode (most common) or range.

Meaning