Glossary term
Median: Meaning and Definition
Reviewed and approved by Dr. Anamika ShrivastavaPublished Last updated
The median is the middle value of a data set arranged in order, so that half of the items lie below it and half above. It is not affected by extreme values and can be found even when classes are open-ended. For an even number of items, it is the mean of the two middle items.
In more detail
The median divides the data into two equal halves. It depends on position, not size, so extreme values barely move it, which makes it preferable for incomes and house prices. Quartiles and percentiles extend the idea to quarters and hundredths of the data.
Example
The ordered values 40, 42, 47, 48, 51, 55, 57 and 60 have 48 and 51 in the middle, so the median is 49.5.
Key points
- Position = (N + 1) ÷ 2 for individual and discrete data.
- Continuous: median = L + (N/2 − c.f.)/f × h.
- Unaffected by extreme values.
Common mistake
Forgetting to arrange the data in order before finding the middle.
Related terms
Where it is explained
This term is explained in Class 11 Statistics Chapter 5: Measures of Central Tendency.