The Law Dictionary

Your Free Online Legal Dictionary • Featuring Black’s Law Dictionary, 2nd Ed.

MEAN Definition & Legal Meaning

Definition & Citations:

The average of values or quantities. Known also as simple average or arithmetic average. Compute an average as the sum of all value amounts divided by the number of values tallied. For example, the mean of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is (15 / 5) = 3. Mean quickly identifies the midpoint on a scale of a varied, scattered number of instances. It can be distorted if extreme values exist often. This distortion can be measured by mean deviation or standard deviation. Also refer to median and mode.

Disclaimer

This article contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. The Law Dictionary is not a law firm, and this page does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.