AVEDEV Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Use AVEDEV to measure the mean absolute deviation from the arithmetic average. It gives a spread in the same units as your input. Unlike the standard deviation, it does not square the differences. For a stable-process comparison, a smaller AVEDEV means the observations tend to stay closer to their mean; it does not certify a process is within tolerance.

=AVEDEV(A2:A6)

For the five observations 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20, the result is 4.8. This is a native-tested Calc 25.2.3.2 result, not an inferred screenshot.

AVEDEV(Number1 [; Number2 [; …]])

• Number1: a number, cell, or range (required).
• Number2 and onward: additional numeric values or cell ranges, when needed (optional). LibreOffice Help lists a maximum of 255 arguments.
• The arguments may themselves reference many cells; a single A2:A1000 is one range argument.

In a typical English-language Calc configuration, semicolon separates arguments. An imported Excel formula may use commas instead. A cell that contains text in a reference range is ignored, not treated as a zero observation.

Download the batch practice CSV into Calc. Column A contains the measurement series, with these values:

1. Place =AVERAGE(A2:A6) in an empty cell. The mean is 12.
2. Enter =AVEDEV(A2:A6) in another empty cell. The result is 4.8.
3. Check manually: distances from 12 are 8, 4, 0, 4, 8. Their sum is 24; divide by five observations to obtain 4.8.

This is average absolute deviation from the mean, not a percentage and not the average difference between neighbouring rows. A value of 4.8 has the same measurement unit as the originals (e.g., grams if the observations were grams).

Cell A7 in the practice data contains the word note:

=AVEDEV(A2:A7)

Native-tested output: 4.8. The text is ignored, so the five numeric measurements still determine the result. That is convenient for mixed ranges but potentially misleading if note was supposed to be an actual numerical reading. Check suspect entries with =ISNUMBER(A7).

You can also type values directly:

=AVEDEV(4;8;12;16;20)

Native-tested output: 4.8. This is useful when checking whether a range was imported correctly.

Suppose one machine’s five readings are in A2:A6 and a second machine’s readings are in J2:J6. Calculate =AVEDEV(A2:A6) and =AVEDEV(J2:J6) separately. Compare those two results only if the measurements use the same units and the batches are comparable. Do not infer that a higher spread automatically means more defects: both the mean and the specification limits matter.

For quality-control reporting, show AVEDEV alongside AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, sample size (COUNT) and a chart. A column of text accidentally included in one batch can cause a smaller counted sample, even though AVEDEV still returns a plausible number.

• AVEDEV: arithmetic mean of absolute differences from the mean. Easier to explain as a typical distance.
• STDEV: sample standard deviation. Squares differences and divides by n - 1 before taking a square root, so large deviations receive greater weight.
• STDEVP / STDEV.P: population standard deviation; use it when your values are the entire population, not a sample.

These measures answer related but different questions. They should not be substituted merely because both are labelled “variation.” Excel supports AVEDEV too, but confirm reference handling and localized separators before copying a workbook.

• Unexpectedly low spread: numbers may have been stored as text and skipped. Use View → Value Highlighting, or ISNUMBER on suspicious entries.
• Different output after pasting into Calc: check which rows the reference covers, whether separators were converted, and whether a filtered list still includes hidden observations.
• Empty data is not a zero-deviation result: =AVEDEV(Z20:Z21) with both cells truly empty produced Err:503 in the tested Calc 25.2.3.2 build. In contrast, =AVEDEV(5) returns 0, because a single observation equals its own mean. Check COUNT and report an empty dataset as missing data rather than as perfect stability.
• Do not confuse with variance: VAR and STDEV use squared differences; AVEDEV does not.

The formulas =AVEDEV(A2:A6), =AVEDEV(A2:A7), and =AVEDEV(4;8;12;16;20) were recalculated in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.3.2 on October 10, 2026 and returned 4.8 with no formula errors. The referenced data is included in the CSV. Tests cover these exact examples only; screenshots and cross-software calculations were not performed.

• Official LibreOffice AVEDEV reference (Statistical Functions Part Four, AVEDEV section).
• AVERAGE, STDEV, MIN and MAX.

Selected example formulas were run in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.3.2 on Linux on October 12, 2026. The official Help may cover a newer version. Tests of selected formulas do not certify every locale, interactive array operation or file round trip. View the example-check record.

Official AVEDEV reference · Editorial standards