Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Statistics) An arrangement of values of a variable showing their observed or theoretical frequency of occurrence: A statistical distribution is a summary that shows how often different values or ranges of values appear in a dataset or are expected to appear according to a probability model. It describes the pattern of variation for a given variable.

Usage

• The term is used to describe the complete set of frequencies for all possible values of a variable. It is a fundamental concept in statistics for understanding data and making inferences.
• It can refer to an empirical distribution (based on observed data) or a theoretical/probability distribution (based on a mathematical model).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The researcher plotted the statistical distribution of household incomes in the city.
  • Understanding the normal statistical distribution is crucial for many statistical tests.
  • The statistical distribution of exam scores was skewed to the left, meaning many students scored high.

Advanced Usage

• "To follow a distribution": To have a pattern of data that matches a known theoretical model.
  • The random errors in the experiment were found to follow a normal statistical distribution.
• "The distribution of": A common phrase used to introduce the variable being analyzed.
  • This graph shows the statistical distribution of response times.

Variants and Related Words

• Distribution (n): Often used as a shorter form of in technical contexts.
  • The data's distribution was bimodal.
• Probability distribution (n): A type of that describes the likelihood of different outcomes in an experiment.
  • The Poisson distribution is a common probability distribution for count data.
• Frequency distribution (n): A summary of how often each value occurs, often presented in a table.
  • The frequency distribution revealed the most common age group.

Synonyms

• Frequency arrangement: A less common term for the organization of values by their occurrence.
• Data distribution: A general term emphasizing the spread of observed data points.

Related Phrases

• Fit a distribution: To find the theoretical distribution that best matches the observed data.
  • We need to fit a distribution to this sample before proceeding.
• Tail of the distribution: Refers to the extreme ends (very high or very low values) of a distribution.
  • The outliers were located in the upper tail of the distribution.

Noun

1. (statistics) an arrangement of values of a variable showing their observed or theoretical frequency of occurrence