ALL meanings of on the average
on the av·er·age
O o - noun on the average a quantity, rating, or the like that represents or approximates an arithmetic mean: Her golf average is in the 90s. My average in science has gone from B to C this semester. 1
- noun on the average a typical amount, rate, degree, etc.; norm. 1
- noun on the average Statistics. arithmetic mean. 1
- noun on the average Mathematics. a quantity intermediate to a set of quantities. 1
- noun on the average Commerce. a charge paid by the master of a ship for such services as pilotage or towage. an expense, partial loss, or damage to a ship or cargo. the incidence of such an expense or loss to the owners or their insurers. an equitable apportionment among all the interested parties of such an expense or loss. Compare general average, particular average. 1
- adjective on the average of or relating to an average; estimated by average; forming an average: The average rainfall there is 180 inches. 1
- adjective on the average typical; common; ordinary: The average secretary couldn't handle such a workload. His grades were nothing special, only average. 1
- verb with object on the average to find an average value for (a variable quantity); reduce to a mean: We averaged the price of milk in five neighborhood stores. 1
- verb with object on the average (of a variable quantity) to have as its arithmetic mean: Wheat averages 56 pounds to a bushel. 1
- verb with object on the average to do or have on the average: He averages seven hours of sleep a night. 1
- verb without object on the average to have or show an average: to average as expected. 1
- idioms on the average on the / an average, usually; typically: She can read 50 pages an hour, on the average. 1