Average vs. Expectation — What's the Difference?

In colloquial language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a non-empty list of numbers. Different concepts of average are used in different contexts.

The act of expecting.

A number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data, in particular the mode, median, or (most commonly) the mean, which is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number

Eager anticipation

The apportionment of financial liability resulting from loss of or damage to a ship or its cargo.

The state of being expected.

Constituting the result obtained by adding together several amounts and then dividing this total by the number of amounts

Something expected

Amount to or achieve as an average rate or amount over a period of time; mean

Expectations Prospects, especially of success or gain.

A number that typifies a set of numbers of which it is a function.

The expected value of a random variable.

See arithmetic mean.

The mean of a random variable.

An intermediate level or degree

The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.

The usual or ordinary kind or quality

That which is expected or looked for.

(Sports)The ratio of a team's or player's successful performances such as wins, hits, or goals, divided by total opportunities for successful performance, such as games, times at bat, or shots

The prospect of the future; grounds upon which something excellent is expected to occur; prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank.

The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.

The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event.

The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.

(statistics) The first moment; the long-run average value of a variable over many independent repetitions of an experiment.

The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.

(colloquial statistics) The arithmetic mean.

A charge incurred through such a loss.

The leaving of a disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure.

(Nautical)Small expenses or charges that are usually paid by the master of a ship.

The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.

(Mathematics)Of, relating to, or constituting an average.

That which is expected or looked for.

Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale

The prospect of the future; grounds upon which something excellent is expected to happen; prospect of anything good to come, esp. of property or rank.

Usual or ordinary in kind or character

The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event. Expectations are computed for or against the occurrence of the event.

Assessed in accordance with the law of averages.

The leaving of the disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure.

(Mathematics)To calculate the average of

Belief about (or mental picture of) the future

To do or have an average of

Wishing with confidence of fulfillment

To distribute proportionately

The feeling that something is about to happen

To be or amount to an average

The sum of the values of a random variable divided by the number of values

(mathematics) The arithmetic mean.

(statistics) Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.

Financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.

Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.

Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.

(sports) An indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc.

In the corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.

The service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc.

(not comparable) Constituting or relating to the average.

Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.

Typical.

(informal) Not outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor.

(transitive) To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean.

(transitive) Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of.

(transitive) To divide among a number, according to a given proportion.

(intransitive) To be, generally or on average.

That service which a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the work beasts of the tenant, as the carriage of wheat, turf, etc.

A tariff or duty on goods, etc.

A mean proportion, medial sum or quantity, made out of unequal sums or quantities; an arithmetical mean. Thus, if A loses 5 dollars, B 9, and C 16, the sum is 30, and the average 10.

Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc.

In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.

Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the average stamp.

According to the laws of averages; as, the loss must be made good by average contribution.

To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean.

To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to average a loss.

To do, accomplish, get, etc., on an average.

To form, or exist in, a mean or medial sum or quantity; to amount to, or to be, on an average; as, the losses of the owners will average twenty five dollars each; these spars average ten feet in length.

A statistic describing the location of a distribution;

Amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain;

Achieve or reach on average;

Compute the average of

Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;

Lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered;

Of no exceptional quality or ability;

Around the middle of a scale of evaluation of physical measures;

Relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution;

Relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in an even-numbered set);