Meaning & Definition of Mean in English

1. An average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n

1. Mean or intend to express or convey

• "You never understand what i mean!"

• "What do his words intend?"

2. Have as a logical consequence

• "The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers"

3. Denote or connote

• "`maison' means `house' in french"

• "An example sentence would show what this word means"

4. Have in mind as a purpose

• "I mean no harm"

• "I only meant to help you"

• "She didn't think to harm me"

• "We thought to return early that night"

5. Have a specified degree of importance

• "My ex-husband means nothing to me"

• "Happiness means everything"

6. Intend to refer to

• "I'm thinking of good food when i talk about france"

• "Yes, i meant you when i complained about people who gossip!"

7. Destine or designate for a certain purpose

• "These flowers were meant for you"

1. Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value

• "The average income in new england is below that of the nation"

• "Of average height for his age"

• "The mean annual rainfall"

2. Characterized by malice

• "A hateful thing to do"

• "In a mean mood"

3. Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality

• "That liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble"- edmund burke

• "Taking a mean advantage"

• "Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort"- shakespeare

• "Something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics"

4. Excellent

• "Famous for a mean backhand"

5. Marked by poverty befitting a beggar

• "A beggarly existence in the slums"

• "A mean hut"

6. (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity

• "A mean person"

• "He left a miserly tip"

7. (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt

8. Of no value or worth

• "I was caught in the bastardly traffic"