a medium between excessive gayety and over-seriousness

mĕdĭō̆crĭtas, ātis, f. [mediocris].

A middle state, a medium, mean; moderateness, moderation (class.):

mediocritatem illam tenere, quae est inter nimium et parum,

Cic. Off. 1, 25, 89; 1, 39, 140:

in dicendo,

mediocrity, id. de Or. 1, 25, 117:

dicendi,

id. Brut. 66, 235:

vultus,

i. e. a medium between excessive gayety and over-seriousness, Auct. Her. 3, 15, 26:

auream quisquis mediocritatem Diligit,

Hor. C. 2, 10, 5. —Of style:

cum omnis virtus sit mediocritas,

Cic. Brut. 40, 149: mediocritatis (exemplum esse) Terentium, Varr. ap. Gell. 6, 14, 6.—In plur.:

mediocritates illi probabant,

moderate passions, Cic. Ac. 2, 44, 135:

mediocritates vel perturbationum vel morborum animi,

id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.—

Meanness, insignificance, littleness, inferiority (rare but class.):

hominum,

Vell. 2, 130, 3:

quod meae mediocritati conveniret,

my insignificance, Gell. 14, 2, 25; cf.:

mediocritas nostra,

my modest self, Vell. 2, 111, 3:

ingenii,

Cic. Phil. 2, 1, 2:

memoriae,

Quint. 11, 2, 39.