mean price or average price?

[goodstudent]

I understand that mean price = average price.

I think everyone understands average price since "average" is a word that everyone knows.

Does everyone understands the meaning of mean price?

Which one is more commonly used?

 

[Raymott]

'Average' is certainly used more often than 'mean'. A "mean price" sounds nasty (or especially good in some slang), and I doubt if the average person would be sure about the meaning of "the mean price". At least where I come from, it's a mathematical term, and the average (mean?) person would not be able to tell you the difference between the mean, the median and the modal price.

 

[khanhhung2512]

NOT A TEACHER
I'm a learner but I still understand what "mean price" means, and I believe this term is correct and equivalent to "average price".
However, I guess "average price" might be somewhat more common.

 

[Matthew Wai]

The Oxford Dictionary marks it as 'technical', see http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/mean_2 Definition#5
So it may be not commonly used in everyday life.

Not a teacher.

 

[khanhhung2512]

'Average' is certainly used more often than 'mean'. A "mean price" sounds nasty (or especially good in some slang), and I doubt if the average person would be sure about the meaning of "the mean price". At least where I come from, it's a mathematical term, and the average (mean?) person would not be able to tell you the difference between the mean, the median and the modal price.

NOT A TEACHER
Being a science-majored student, I consider "mean" one of the most rudimentary terms of all, though I'm not sure about the general masses.
As I see it, I believe what terms people use should depend on their purposes (e.g. who they're targeting by their essay), on the context, and on their working environments.
What do you think of my thought?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I think there is a large percentage of the population who do not know that definition of "mean".

 

[SoothingDave]

Arithmetic mean or geometric mean?

 

[khanhhung2512]

Arithmetic mean or geometric mean?

NOT A TEACHER
In my opinion, unless specifically stated, "mean" always implies "arithmetic mean".

 

[MikeNewYork]

The point is about what regular people understand. Not everyone has a science and math background.