The difference between Average and Mean

When used as nouns, average means the arithmetic mean, whereas mean means a method or course of action used to achieve some result.

When used as verbs, average means to compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean, whereas mean means to intend, to plan (to do).

When used as adjectives, average means constituting or relating to the average, whereas mean means common.

check bellow for the other definitions of Average and Mean

  1. Average as a noun (mathematics):

    The arithmetic mean.

    Examples:

    "The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18."

  2. Average as a noun (statistics):

    Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.

  3. Average as a noun (legal, marine):

    Financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.

  4. Average as a noun:

    Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.

  5. Average as a noun:

    Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.

  6. Average as a noun (sports):

    An indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.

    Examples:

    "batting average'"

  7. Average as a noun (UK, in the plural):

    In the corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.

  1. Average as an adjective (not comparable):

    Constituting or relating to the average.

    Examples:

    "The average age of the participants was 18.5."

  2. Average as an adjective:

    Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.

    Examples:

    "I soon found I was only an average chess player."

  3. Average as an adjective:

    Typical.

    Examples:

    "The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product."

  4. Average as an adjective (informal):

    Not outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor.

  1. Average as a verb (transitive):

    To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.

    Examples:

    "If you average 10, 20 and 24, you get 18."

  2. Average as a verb (transitive):

    Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.

    Examples:

    "The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C."

    "I averaged 75% in my examinations this year."

  3. Average as a verb (transitive):

    To divide among a number, according to a given proportion.

    Examples:

    "to average a loss"

  4. Average as a verb (intransitive):

    To be, generally or on average.

  1. Average as a noun (UK, legal, obsolete):

    The service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.

  1. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To intend. To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention. To have intentions of a given kind. To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.

    Examples:

    "I didn't mean to knock your tooth out."

    "I mean to go to Baddeck this summer."

    "I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind."

    "Don't be angry; she meant well."

    "Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor."

    "Man was not meant to question such things."

  2. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To convey meaning. To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea). Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify. Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.

    Examples:

    "The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?"

    "What does this hieroglyph mean?"

    "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

    "He is a little different, [[if you know what I mean if you know what I mean]]."

  3. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).

    Examples:

    "Does she really mean what she said to him last night?"

    "Say what you mean and mean what you say."

  4. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To result in; to bring about.

    Examples:

    "One faltering step means certain death."

  5. Mean as a verb (transitive):

    To be important (to).

    Examples:

    "My home life means a lot to me."

  1. Mean as a verb (Ireland, UK, _, regional):

    To lament.

  1. Mean as an adjective (obsolete):

    Common; general.

  2. Mean as an adjective:

    Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

    Examples:

    "a man of mean parentage / a mean abode"

  3. Mean as an adjective:

    Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

    Examples:

    "a mean appearance / mean dress"

  4. Mean as an adjective:

    Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.

    Examples:

    "a mean motive"

  5. Mean as an adjective:

    Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.

  6. Mean as an adjective (chiefly, UK):

    Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

    Examples:

    "He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children."

  7. Mean as an adjective:

    Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating; small.

  8. Mean as an adjective:

    Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.

    Examples:

    "It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just ''had'' to get uptown and he had no cash of his own."

  9. Mean as an adjective:

    Causing or intending to cause intentional harm; bearing ill will towards another; cruel; malicious.

    Examples:

    "Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose."

  10. Mean as an adjective:

    Powerful; fierce; harsh; damaging.

    Examples:

    "It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town."

  11. Mean as an adjective:

    Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

    Examples:

    "Your mother can roll a mean cigarette."

    "He hits a mean backhand."

  12. Mean as an adjective (informal, often, childish):

    Difficult, tricky.

    Examples:

    "This problem is mean!"

  1. Mean as an adjective:

    Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.

  2. Mean as an adjective (obsolete):

    Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.

  1. Mean as a noun (now, chiefly, in the plural):

    A method or course of action used to achieve some result.

  2. Mean as a noun (obsolete, in the singular):

    An intermediate step or intermediate steps.

  3. Mean as a noun:

    Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.

  4. Mean as a noun (music, now, historical):

    The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.

  5. Mean as a noun (statistics):

    The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.

  6. Mean as a noun (mathematics):

    Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.

  7. Mean as a noun (mathematics):

    Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

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