| the mean obtained by adding several quantities together and dividing the sum by the number of quantities: the arithmetic mean of 1, 5, 2, and 8 is 4. |
| ar·ith·met·ic mean (ār'ĭth-mět'ĭk) n. The value obtained by dividing the sum of a set of quantities by the number of quantities in the set. Also called average. |
arithmetic mean a·rith·me·tic mean (ə-rĭth'mĭ-tĭk)
n.
The value obtained by calculating the sum of a set of quantities and then dividing that sum by the number of quantities in the set. Also called average.
arithmetic mean mathematics
The mean of a list of N numbers calculated by dividing their sum by N. The arithmetic mean is appropriate for sets of numbers that are added together or that form an arithmetic series. If all the numbers in the list were changed to their arithmetic mean then their total would stay the same.
For sets of numbers that are multiplied together, the geometric mean is more appropriate.
(2007-03-20)
