What is the 'arithmetic mean'? Definition & meaning

The sum of a set of numbers added together and then divided by the total amount of numbers in that set.

‘Arithmetic mean’ is a fancy way of saying ‘mean’ or ‘average.’

To find the arithmetic mean, you add together a set of numbers and then divide your answer by the amount of numbers you had in that original set.

This may sound wordy - especially for math-o-phobes - but it’s really simple.

Take 1,2,3,4,5 as a set of numbers.

1+2+3+4+5 =15

In our original set, there were 5 numbers. So to get the average we just do….

15 ÷ 5 = 3

Simples.

More terms

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Gilt

What is a gilt?

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The money a firm is left with from sales after subtracting taxes and different business costs.

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Arithmetic Mean