Mean (statistics)
Etymology
From Latin "medianus" (in the middle), from "medius" (middle), reaching English via Old French "meien." The same root underlies "medium" and "median," a family that all point at the middle.
Mean meaning to intend or signify is a wholly separate root — from Old English "mænan."
Mean meaning base or low is distinct again — from Old English "gemǣne," common or shared.
noun · /MEEN/
The arithmetic average, found by adding all values and dividing by how many there are.
What it names
It is the default “typical value,” but knowing exactly how it is built reveals when it can be badly misleading.
Example
If nine people earn 30,000 and one earns 3 million, the mean income is over 300,000 — a figure nobody in the room actually earns.
Related idea
The mean is pulled toward extreme values, whereas the median is not, so for skewed data like income the median usually describes the “typical” person better.
verb · /MEEN/
To signify or intend; to have as a purpose or as a definition.
What it names
the carrying of meaning or intention
Example
What does this symbol mean?
Related idea
Compare logos and doxa, Greek terms for meaning and belief.
adjective · /MEEN/
Unkind or cruel; also stingy; and, informally, excellent or formidable.
What it names
a trait of character or, in slang, high skill
Example
It was a mean thing to say — though she plays a mean game of chess.
Related idea
Three unrelated words share this spelling — average, intend, and unkind. Compare its statistical neighbours median and mode.