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statistics

American  
[stuh-tis-tiks] / stəˈtɪs tɪks /

noun

  1. (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.

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

statistics British  
/ stəˈtɪstɪks /

noun

  1. (functioning as plural) 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

  2. (functioning as singular)

    1. the classification and interpretation of such data in accordance with probability theory and the application of methods such as hypothesis testing to them

    2. the mathematical study of the theoretical nature of such distributions and tests See also descriptive statistics statistical inference

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
statistics Scientific  
/ stə-tĭs′tĭks /

  1. 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.

  2. Numerical data.

statistics Cultural  

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

Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of statistics

First recorded in 1770–80; from German Statistik “political science, statistics,” from New Latin (collēgium) statisticum “(council) of state,” from statisticus “pertaining to state affairs,” and from Italian statista “politician, statesman,” derivative of stato “state,” ultimately from Latin status “constitution, public order”; status, -ics

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Bureau of Labor statistics will release the jobs report Friday, returning to its normal landing spot for the first time since early September.

From Barron's

A vast and fragmented pile of immigration statistics from dozens of countries, stitched together by The Wall Street Journal, depicts a historic pattern.

From The Wall Street Journal

That was up from 93 investigations in 2023, according to statistics.

From MarketWatch

"As a responsible government, we cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics. These are not just numbers, they represent human lives, the hope of many Ghanaian families and our nation."

From Barron's

I doubt any of his successors obsessed as he did about freight-car loading statistics External link.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.