mediocrity
/mi.dɪˈɑk.ɹɪ.ti/noun
mediocrity is spelled M-E-D-I-O-C-R-I-T-Y: 10 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, mediocrity means “The condition of being mediocre; having only an average degree of quality, skills etc.; no better than standard” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of mediocrity is mediocrities.
How many letters and syllables are in mediocrity?
| Letters | 10: M-E-D-I-O-C-R-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is mediocrity?
Mediocrity appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mediocrity?
- UK /miː.dɪˈɒk.ɹɪ.ti/
- US /mi.dɪˈɑk.ɹɪ.ti/
- US [mi.dɪˈɑk.ɹɪ.ɾi]
Mediocrity has 5 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-mediocrity.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mediocrity
- mediocrities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mediocrity mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The condition of being mediocre; having only an average degree of quality, skills etc.; no better than standard.
Flexibility is good, but a tolerance for mediocrity carried far enough impairs operational capacity.
- 2
A person with mediocre abilities or achievements.
populated with mediocrities
- 3
archaicThe quality of being intermediate between two extremes; a mean.
- 4
obsoleteA middle course of action; moderation, balance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mediocrity in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense condition of being mediocre:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | médiocrité |
| German | Mittelmäßigkeit, Mittelmaß |
| Portuguese | mediocridade |
| Spanish | mediocridad, medianía |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mediocrity come from?
From Middle French médiocrité, from Latin mediocritās, from mediocris; by surface analysis, mediocre + -ity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).