Phrase guide

on average

prep_phrase · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Expressed as a measure of central tendency (usually the arithmetic mean).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • On average, students spend about 20 hours a week studying.
  • The journey takes, on average, two hours.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

Usually, typically; as a rule; as often as not.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • People these days live longer on average

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

typically

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • on average he watches three movies a week

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: on the average

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: у сярэднім (u sjarednim) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Bulgarian: средно (sredno) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平均 (píngjūn de) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Czech: průměrně — as a measure of central tendency
  • Czech: v průměru — as a measure of central tendency
  • Danish: i gennemsnit — as a measure of central tendency
  • Dutch: gemiddeld — as a measure of central tendency
  • Finnish: keskimäärin — as a measure of central tendency
  • French: en moyenne — as a measure of central tendency
  • German: durchschnittlich — as a measure of central tendency
  • German: im Durchschnitt — as a measure of central tendency
  • Hungarian: átlagosan — as a measure of central tendency
  • Icelandic: að meðaltali — as a measure of central tendency
  • Irish: ar an meán — as a measure of central tendency
  • Italian: in media — as a measure of central tendency
  • Pannonian Rusyn: просеково (prosekovo) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Pannonian Rusyn: штреднє (štrednje) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Pannonian Rusyn: стреднє (strednje) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Polish: średnio — as a measure of central tendency
  • Polish: przeciętnie — as a measure of central tendency
  • Romanian: în medie — as a measure of central tendency
  • Russian: в сре́днем (v srédnem) — as a measure of central tendency
  • Spanish: en promedio — as a measure of central tendency
  • Spanish: como promedio — as a measure of central tendency
  • Spanish: por término medio — as a measure of central tendency
  • Swedish: i genomsnitt — as a measure of central tendency
  • Welsh: ar gyfartaledd — as a measure of central tendency