averaging

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'averaging' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe the process of arriving at a final numerical value by calculating the average of a set of numbers. For example, "The team averaged 70 points over the course of the season."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That same season (when Idol was averaging over 30 million viewers a night), Kellie Pickler became a water cooler favorite with her ditzy antics, as she babbled over Simon Cowell's critiques and mispronounced words like "salmon".

The Guardian - Music

We're averaging around three hours a night.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The first four polls pointed to four different "winners", and averaging across all five of the eventual surveys suggested that neither Mr Cameron, nor Ed Miliband, Nigel Farage or Nicola Sturgeon had broken ahead of their rivals in any meaningful way.

The Guardian - Opinion

Glasgow Central, Glasgow East, Glasgow North and Glasgow North West are all set to move from Labour to the SNP in previously unthinkable swings averaging more than 20%.

The Guardian

He has 2,244 MLB hits, averaging 1.4 hits per game.

The Guardian - Sport

"We're averaging eight to 10 corpses a day, some of them dead on arrival; there's a dead body every hour or two," he explains later.

The Guardian

Lake Oku clawed frogs are tiny – averaging a little over 30 millimetres – and would be easy pickings for predatory fish.

The Guardian

Ageing is not the only reason: falling fertility rates and declining immigration also play a role.Like labour, productivity is growing more slowly, averaging a little over 1% since the recovery began, about half the average of 2.3% from 1947 to 2007.

The Economist

Beginning in 2002, when the Bush administration began heavily funding abstinence-only programmes, the rate of decline slowed, averaging 2.6% a year through 2005, and then reversed in 2006, rising 2.9%.

The Economist

That is mainly because the main alternatives to conventional prison sentences haven't fully proved their worth.The justice ministry gamely insists that community sentences produce lower reoffending rates than short prison sentences, averaging 37% to the latter's 61%.

The Economist

India is on track to be the fastest-growing economy in the world in 2008-30, annualing annual expansion of 6.3%.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing trends or performance over time, use "averaging" to provide a concise summary of central tendencies, such as "The company's profits were averaging 10% growth annually."

Common error

Avoid using "averaging" without specifying the period over which the average is calculated. For example, instead of saying "Sales are averaging high," specify "Sales are averaging $10,000 per month over the last quarter."

Linguistic Context

The term "averaging" primarily functions as a verb, specifically the present participle of the verb "average". It's used to describe the ongoing action of calculating an average, as demonstrated by Ludwig. It can also function as a noun, referring to the process itself.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "averaging" is a versatile term that functions primarily as a verb, describing the process of calculating an average. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and usable in written English. With a neutral register, it's appropriate for a range of contexts, most commonly found in news and media, formal business, and scientific reporting. It communicates a statistical tendency or central value, and the examples on Ludwig demonstrate its consistent use across authoritative sources like The Economist and The Guardian. To ensure clarity, specify the timeframe or data set you're "averaging".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

calculating the average

Focuses on the process of finding the average rather than the state of having an average.

computing the mean

Uses more technical language, emphasizing the statistical nature of finding an average.

equaling on average

Specifies that the equality is based on an average value.

amounting to

Emphasizes the total quantity or result after a calculation, rather than the process.

working out at

Suggests a calculated result, often in a more informal context.

coming to

Indicates the final result or sum after a calculation or process.

measuring up to

Implies a comparison of a value against a standard or expectation.

generally being

Describes a typical or common state, without explicitly mentioning a calculation.

typically reaching

Focuses on reaching a certain level or quantity most of the time.

tending towards

Describes a general direction or inclination, rather than a specific average value.

FAQs

How is "averaging" used in a sentence?

"Averaging" is used to describe the process of calculating the average value of a set of numbers. For instance, "The athlete was "averaging" 20 points per game."

What's the difference between "averaging" and "average"?

"Averaging" is the process of computing an average, while "average" refers to the result of that computation or a typical value. For example, "The team is "averaging" 75 points per game; their average score is 75."

What are some alternatives to using "averaging"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "calculating the average", "computing the mean", or "amounting to". For example, instead of saying "They are "averaging" three hours of sleep a night", you could say "They are calculating an average of three hours of sleep a night".

How do I avoid ambiguity when using "averaging"?

To avoid ambiguity, always specify the timeframe or data set you are "averaging". Instead of just saying "Prices are "averaging" higher", clarify with "Prices are "averaging" 10% higher this quarter compared to last year".