Above-average
adj.capableprofessional
What it means
Better, stronger, or higher than the usual level for a relevant group.
Reach for it when making a measured comparison without claiming top rank
The clinic achieved above-average follow-up rates for the region.
Choose between these
6- everyday
better than average
the comparison should be transparent to any reader
not when The phrase is clumsy in a compact label or headline.
- warm
the audience's positive reaction matters more than a benchmark
not when Impressive is subjective and cannot replace an actual comparative measure.
- warm
the result deserves attention for context-specific reasons
not when Notable can describe something unusual without saying it performed better.
- professional
repeated measured outcomes are the evidence
not when High-performing is inappropriate for a single pleasant feature or isolated score.
- professional
performance clearly merits praise without a statistical claim
not when Strong does not establish comparison with a defined peer group.
- formal
superior
a direct quality ranking is justified by evidence
not when Superior can sound arrogant and claims more than merely clearing the mean.
Said against
3- below-average
- average
- substandard
It naturally appears in
3- above-average performance
The trainee delivered above-average performance on every timed exercise.
- above-average results
Careful preparation produced above-average results across all three sites.
- above-average ability
Her above-average ability in spatial reasoning emerged during the workshop.
Where this comes from
No standalone English Wiktionary entry for above-average was available on 2026-07-26; the compound sense is grounded in the preposition above used with average.
Above-average is not a headword in the dictionaries below. The sense was checked against their entries for above, and the definition and example here are written for Above-average itself.
- wiktionary, the entry for above, English preposition sense of above: greater than in quantity or degree, used with average opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.