batting average: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal-informal (context-dependent). Primarily technical in sports, metaphorical in business/general use.
Quick answer
What does “batting average” mean?
A baseball or cricket statistic representing a player's success rate at hitting.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A baseball or cricket statistic representing a player's success rate at hitting.
A general measure of someone's overall success rate or performance level in a specific activity, not necessarily related to sports.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, primarily associated with cricket. In the US, exclusively a baseball term. The metaphorical use is more common in American English.
Connotations
Technical/specialist in its literal sense in both regions. In metaphorical use, often implies a quantitative or statistical approach to evaluating performance.
Frequency
High frequency in American sports journalism. Moderate frequency in UK sports journalism (cricket). Low-to-moderate in general metaphorical use, higher in US business contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “batting average” in a Sentence
[Subject] has a batting average of [number][Subject]'s batting average is [number]maintain/boost [possessive] batting average in/at [field]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"Her batting average for closing deals is over 70%." Used to quantify success in sales, negotiations, or project completions.
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing. May appear in sports science, statistics, or business case studies analysing performance.
Everyday
"My batting average for guessing the plot of this show is terrible." Used humorously or casually to describe guesswork or predictions.
Technical
A precise statistic: In baseball, hits divided by at-bats. In cricket, runs scored divided by times dismissed.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “batting average”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “batting average”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “batting average”
- Using it to mean 'average score' rather than 'success rate'. Confusing it with 'slugging percentage' (baseball) or 'bowling average' (cricket).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but they are different calculations. In baseball, it's hits divided by at-bats. In cricket, it's runs divided by dismissals. The term originated in cricket.
Metaphorically, yes, for any activity with clear successes and attempts (e.g., sales, predictions, project completion). It sounds less natural for continuous or qualitative outcomes.
Context is everything. In Major League Baseball, .300 (30%) is excellent. In cricket, 50+ is very strong. In a metaphorical business sense, it depends entirely on the difficulty of the task.
'Success rate', 'hit rate', and 'track record' are common. 'Batting average' adds a slightly more statistical or sports-analogy flavour.
A baseball or cricket statistic representing a player's success rate at hitting.
Batting average is usually formal-informal (context-dependent). primarily technical in sports, metaphorical in business/general use. in register.
Batting average: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbæt.ɪŋ ˌæv.ər.ɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbæɾ.ɪŋ ˌæv.ɚ.ɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Lifetime batting average (overall career performance)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cricket BAT and an AVERAGE calculator. The BAT hits the ball, and the calculator works out your AVERAGE success.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/PERFORMANCE IS A SPORTS STATISTIC. Success is quantified as a ratio of hits to attempts.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'batting average' used in its primary, non-metaphorical sense in British English?