Definition

1. Noun:
   • A symmetrical curve representing the normal distribution: A "bell-shaped curve" is a graphical representation of a normal distribution in statistics. It is characterized by its symmetrical, bell-like shape, where the highest frequency of data points is at the mean, and the frequency decreases equally on both sides as values move away from the mean.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The test scores followed a perfect bell-shaped curve.
  • In a standard bell-shaped curve, about 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean.

Advanced Usage

• "to follow a bell-shaped curve": to have a distribution pattern that matches the normal distribution.

  • The heights of adult men in a large population tend to follow a bell-shaped curve.

• "the classic bell-shaped curve": used to emphasize the ideal or theoretical form of the normal distribution.

  • The researcher compared the data to the classic bell-shaped curve.

Variants and Related Words

• Normal distribution (n): the statistical distribution that the bell-shaped curve represents.

  • The normal distribution is a fundamental concept in probability.

• Gaussian curve (n): another name for the bell-shaped curve, named after the mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss.

  • The data was analyzed using a Gaussian curve.

Synonyms

• Normal curve: A direct synonym for a bell-shaped curve representing a normal distribution.
• Gaussian distribution: A technical synonym referring to the same statistical concept.

Related Phrases

• Bell curve: A common shortened form of "bell-shaped curve."
  • The professor explained the concept using a simple bell curve.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. a symmetrical curve representing the normal distribution