median age

USAGE SUMMARY

"median age" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use "median age" when referring to the midpoint age of a population or group. For example, "The median age of the participants in this study was 28."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

India's median age is 26.

The New York Times

Think of the median age!

The New York Times - Magazine

The median age is now seventy.

The New Yorker

(The median age for women is 25).

The Economist

This season, its median age is 47.2.

The New York Times

Now the median age is 3".

The New York Times

The Latino median age is only 27.

The New York Times

The median age at death was 68.

The New York Times - Science

Their median age was 51; fathers had a median age of 52.

The New York Times

The median age for the three evening newscasts is 60.5.

The New York Times

The median age of single mothers here was 21.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing the "median age" across different groups, clarify the groups to avoid ambiguity. For example, 'The median age of participants in Group A was significantly higher than in Group B'.

Common error

Avoid using "median age" interchangeably with 'average age'. The median represents the midpoint, while the average is the sum of all ages divided by the number of individuals, and these can differ significantly especially in skewed distributions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "median age" functions primarily as a noun phrase, serving as a descriptor to quantify the central tendency of age within a specific population or group. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "median age" is a grammatically correct and frequently used term, primarily functioning as a noun phrase to describe the central age within a population. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for a variety of contexts, but is most common in News & Media and Scientific domains. It's important to differentiate "median age" from 'average age', as the median is less susceptible to outliers. When using "median age", ensure clarity by specifying the group to which it refers. For related terms, consider alternatives like "average age" or "demographic midpoint age" based on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

population's median age

Clarifies that the median age refers to an entire population.

demographic midpoint age

Specifically refers to the median age in demographic studies.

average age

Uses the mean instead of the median, which can be influenced by outliers.

midpoint age

Emphasizes the central point in the age range, similar to the median.

central age

Focuses on the age that is centrally located within a population group.

typical age

Suggests a representative age, though it is less precise than "median age".

average age bracket

Specifies a range around the average rather than a single median value.

middle age range

Highlights the spread of ages near the middle value.

most common age

Indicates which age occurs most frequently, not necessarily the middle value.

average generational age

Indicates the average age within a specific generation.

FAQs

How is "median age" calculated?

The "median age" is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; half the people are younger than this age, and half are older. It's not the same as the average age, which is calculated by summing all ages and dividing by the number of people.

What does a high or low "median age" indicate?

A high "median age" typically indicates an aging population, potentially due to increased life expectancy and/or decreased birth rates. A low median age suggests a younger population, often with higher birth rates and potentially lower life expectancy.

What are some alternatives to saying "median age"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "average age" if you're referring to the mean age, or "demographic midpoint age" to emphasize its use in demographic analysis.

Why is "median age" used instead of "average age" in some contexts?

"Median age" is often preferred over average age because it is less sensitive to extreme values or outliers. For example, a small number of very old individuals can skew the average age upwards, while the median remains stable, providing a more representative measure of the population's central tendency.