average duration

USAGE SUMMARY

"average duration" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you are referring to the amount of time something usually lasts or takes. For example, "The average duration of a tennis match is approximately two hours."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The average duration of unemployment has hit nine months in Greece and eight months in Spain.

The Guardian - Business

That compares with an average duration of 4.2 years for the intermediate bond group, Morningstar said.

The New York Times

The average loan amount is $9,600, and the average duration is 18 months.

The New York Times

The bonds have an average duration of 4 years, compared with 4.65 years for the index.

The New York Times

In addition, the average duration of a C.E.O.'s tenure has fallen.

The New Yorker

(The average duration in this unit is 12 days).

The New York Times

A longer-term bond means longer average duration.

The New York Times

Average duration of unemployment in months.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Results: The average duration of diabetes was 11.6 ± 4.1 years.

Journal of Vascular Surgery

The average duration of IV PCA use was 32.6 hours.

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing

Average duration of follow-up was 1.5±1 years.

European Neuropsychopharmacology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "average duration", specify the units of time (e.g., days, months, years) to provide clarity and avoid ambiguity for your audience. For example, "The average duration of the study was six months."

Common error

Avoid using "average duration" when you intend to express the total time elapsed. "Average duration" refers to the typical length of a single event or period, not the sum of multiple durations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "average duration" functions primarily as a noun phrase. It typically serves as the subject or object of a sentence or clause, referring to the typical length of something. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for use.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "average duration" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that describes the typical length of time something lasts, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. Predominantly found in scientific, news, and formal business contexts, its purpose is to provide a quantifiable measure of time. It's important to specify time units to enhance clarity and to avoid confusing it with "total duration". Alternatives like "mean period" or "typical length" can be used depending on the context, enriching your writing while maintaining accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mean period

Replaces "duration" with "period", focusing on the length of time.

typical length

Substitutes "average" with "typical" and "duration" with "length", emphasizing the common extent of something.

average time span

Adds "time" to clarify the meaning of "span", more explicit.

typical time frame

Using the word typical instead of average

usual timeframe

Replaces "duration" with "timeframe", highlighting the period within which something occurs.

usual period

Focus on usual instead average

median time

Uses "median" instead of "average", referring to the central value of a set of durations.

common span

Replaces "duration" with "span", indicating the extent of time.

average time length

Adding more clarification on the length

average time

Simplifies the phrase by removing "duration", assuming the context implies time.

FAQs

How do I use "average duration" in a sentence?

You can use "average duration" to describe the typical length of an event, process, or condition. For example, "The "average duration" of unemployment is increasing." or "The "average duration" of a phone call is about 100 seconds."

What's the difference between "average duration" and "total duration"?

"Average duration" refers to the typical length of a single occurrence, while "total duration" refers to the sum of multiple durations. For instance, the "average duration" of a meeting might be one hour, but the total duration of all meetings this week could be eight hours.

What can I say instead of "average duration"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "mean period", "typical length", or "usual timeframe" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "the duration is on average"?

While grammatically understandable, it is more common and clearer to use "the "average duration" is". The phrase "on average" is better used to modify a numerical value directly, such as "The therapy lasted 6 days on average" rather than modifying duration.