Mean-Median | Commonly Confused Words
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Median vs. Mean

Median

The middle value in a list of numbers when they are arranged in order

Examples:

The median score on the test was 75 out of 100.A median salary for teachers varies by state.Locate the median point to divide the data evenly.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Mean

/miːn/
Having an unkind or unpleasant nature.

Examples:

She knew now that he meant to speak."Well, I have discovered the means of reconciling everything," cried Pelisson.The clock's hands said six, meaning eighteen.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

This word has no antonyms

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Mean is often referred to as the average, think of it as the sum of numbers divided by their count.
  • Median is the middle value in a list of numbers sorted in ascending order to find it.
  • Mean can be heavily impacted by outliers, while median is not.
  • For a normal distribution, mean and median may be close or the same, but in skewed distributions, they aren't.
  • Median splits the dataset into two equal parts, whereas mean sums up data and shares evenly.
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