statistics

[stuh-tis-tiks] /stəˈtɪs tɪks/

noun

(used with a singular verb) the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and interpretation of numerical facts or data, and that, by use of mathematical theories of probability, imposes order and regularity on aggregates of more or less disparate elements.

(used with a plural verb) the numerical facts or data themselves.

Origin

1780-90; see statistic, -ics

statistic

[stuh-tis-tik] /stəˈtɪs tɪk/

noun, Statistics.

a numerical fact or datum, especially one computed from a sample.

Origin

1780-90; < Neo-Latin statisticus. See status, -istic

Related forms

nonstatistic, adjective

unstatistic, adjective

Examples from the web for statistics

The figures for the last years of the mandate are based on continuous collection of data by the department of statistics.
Then other scientists publicly take apart the discovery-the measurements were full of errors, the statistics were cursory.
Several statistics seemed to support this damning conclusion.
statistics are unreliable with declared income still a novelty, but brokers say the number is surely in the hundreds of thousands.
She agreed that crime was a big problem and that the government purposefully manipulates crime statistics.
To gather the accounts of natural resources, means of communication, and statistics the author made many journeys.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.
To him even the extinction of the human race should be merely a fact to be grouped with other vital statistics.
With the utmost gravity, he sets out statistics to show the revenue that would accrue if this idea were adopted.
My fellow citizens, trade statistics indicate that this country is in a state of unexampled prosperity.

British Dictionary definitions for statistics

statistics

/stəˈtɪstɪks/

noun

(functioning as pl) quantitative data on any subject, esp data comparing the distribution of some quantity for different subclasses of the population: statistics for earnings by different age groups

(functioning as sing)

the classification and interpretation of such data in accordance with probability theory and the application of methods such as hypothesis testing to them
the mathematical study of the theoretical nature of such distributions and tests See also descriptive statistics, statistical inference

Word Origin

C18 (originally ``science dealing with facts of a state''): via German Statistik, from New Latin statisticus concerning state affairs, from Latin statusstate

statistic

/stəˈtɪstɪk/

noun

any function of a number of random variables, usually identically distributed, that may be used to estimate a population parameter See also sampling statistic, estimator (sense 2), parameter (sense 3)

Word Origin and History for statistics

1770, "science dealing with data about the condition of a state or community," from German Statistik, popularized and perhaps coined by German political scientist Gottfried Aschenwall (1719-1772) in his "Vorbereitung zur Staatswissenschaft" (1748), from Modern Latin statisticum (collegium) "(lecture course on) state affairs," from Italian statista "one skilled in statecraft," from Latin status (see state (n.1)). Meaning "numerical data collected and classified" is from 1829. Abbreviated form stats first recorded 1961.

statistic

"quantitative fact or statement," 1880; see statistics.

statistics in Science

statistics

(stə-tĭs'tĭks)

(Used with a singular verb) The branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data. Statistics is especially useful in drawing general conclusions about a set of data from a sample of the data.
(Used with a plural verb) Numerical data.

statistics in Culture

statistics definition

The branch of mathematics dealing with numerical data. (See mean, median, mode, normal distribution curve, sample, standard deviation, and statistical significance.)

Note: A particular problem of statistics is estimating true values of parameters from a sample of data.

statistics in Technology

statistics, mathematics
The practice, study or result of the application of mathematical functions to collections of data in order to summarise or extrapolate that data.
The subject of statistics can be divided into descriptive statistics - describing data, and analytical statistics - drawing conclusions from data.
(1997-07-16)