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golden mean

golden mean

7.6
A moderate choice between two extremes in how you act or decide
  • noun
  • /ˈɡoʊldən miːn/
translation icon : justo medio
  • In her debate, she emphasized the importance of the golden mean, suggesting that moderation leads to the best decisions.

It's found in the Buddhist's middle way, and it's in Aristotle's golden mean.

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Examples

  • Suffering and poverty had taught her good and bad, and in her own attitudes, she kept deliberately to the golden mean.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Aristotle believed that virtue lies in finding the golden mean between excess and deficiency in one’s actions.

  • So the, the golden mean has stood throughout history.

  • And Aristotle used to talk about the golden mean of like finding the perfect balance between two extremes of equality.

  • They aimed for a golden mean in their lifestyle, balancing work and leisure for a fulfilling life.

Synonyms

middle ground
vsgolden mean
41 4.2

An agreement both sides can accept

is presented as a morally preferable balanced stance beyond mere agreement
medium
vsgolden mean
28 4.6

A middle position between two extremes

is recommended as the desirable balanced option in behavior and thought
happy medium
vsgolden mean
6 3.9

A middle choice that pleases both sides

is the ideal balanced choice praised in conduct and thought
moderateness
vsgolden mean
1 6.8

A state of being not extreme in amount, behavior, or opinion

is valued as the virtuous balanced path in ethical decisions
middleness
vsgolden mean
5.5

To be in the middle and not at either extreme

is promoted as the desirable balanced choice in conduct and thought

How Moderate

golden mean
7.6
radical
462 6.0
extreme
877 3.6

Surface Forms

golden mean singular
golden means plural

Morphology

golden + mean

The words 'golden' (special/ideal) and 'mean' (average/middle) give a B1 learner a clue that this refers to some kind of 'ideal middle' or special average, so some general sense is inferable. However, the precise technical meaning as the specific proportional relationship (the golden ratio) is specialized and not predictable from the constituents alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Golden mean comes from ancient thinkers who taught that the best choice is a mean, a middle way between two extremes, and that this middle is especially good or golden. So the phrase now means 'a desirable moderate position' between two extremes.