The word "median" refers to a statistical measure that identifies the middle value in a set of numbers when they are arranged in order. If there is an odd number of values, the median is the number that separates the higher half from the lower half. If there is an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle numbers. The median is often used in statistical analysis to assess the central tendency of a data set, particularly when the data contains outliers that may skew the mean.
The word "median" originates from the Latin word "medianus," which means "in the middle." It was adopted into English in the early 19th century to describe the statistical concept of the middle value.