median

Definition

In science, the median is the middle number in a set of data. To find the median, you first need to order the data from least to greatest. Once the data is ordered, the median is the number in the middle.

For example, if you have the data set {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}, the median is 5. This is because 5 is the number in the middle of the set, with 3 and 7 on either side of it.

The median is a good way to represent a set of data because it is not affected by extreme values. For example, if you add the number 10 to the data set {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}, the median will still be 5. This is because 5 is still the number in the middle of the set, even though 10 is a much larger number.

How can the word be used?

The median price of a house in the neighbourhood is £250,000.

Different forms of the word

Noun:

median (the most common form).
median value.
median point.

Adjective:

median.

Verb:

medianize.

Etymology

The word "median" comes from the Latin word "mediānus," which means "of the middle." The Latin word "mediānus" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *medhyo-, which also means "middle.".

The word "median" first appeared in English in the 16th century. It was originally used in the sense of "the middle point of a line." The word "median" was later used to refer to the middle number in a sorted distribution.

Question

What is a median?