What does the term "median" refer to in a data set?

The term "median" refers specifically to the middle value in a data set when the values have been arranged in numerical order. To find the median, you first sort the data from the smallest to the largest. If there is an odd number of values in the set, the median is the value that sits directly in the middle. If there is an even number of values, the median is calculated by taking the average of the two middle numbers. This definition clearly shows that the median serves as a measure of central tendency, providing insight into the data distribution. It is particularly useful in understanding the central point of a data set, especially when there might be outliers that could skew the average.