Definition of Mean

Noun

an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
- mean value

destine or designate for a certain purpose
"These flowers were meant for you"
intend to refer to
"I'm thinking of good food when I talk about France"
"Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!"
- think of - have in mind
have a specified degree of importance
"My ex-husband means nothing to me"
"Happiness means everything"
have in mind as a purpose
"I mean no harm"
"I only meant to help you"
"She didn't think to harm me"
"We thought to return early that night"
denote or connote
"`maison' means `house' in French"
"An example sentence would show what this word means"
- stand for
have as a logical consequence
"The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers"
mean or intend to express or convey
"You never understand what I mean!"
"what do his words intend?"

of no value or worth
"I was caught in the bastardly traffic"
(used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt
(used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
"a mean person"
"he left a miserly tip"
marked by poverty befitting a beggar
"a beggarly existence in the slums"
"a mean hut"
excellent
"famous for a mean backhand"
having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality
"that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble"- Edmund Burke
"taking a mean advantage"
"chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort"- Shakespeare
"something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics"
characterized by malice
"a hateful thing to do"
"in a mean mood"
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
"the average income in New England is below that of the nation"
"of average height for his age"
"the mean annual rainfall"