mean deviation
noun Statistics.
a measure of dispersion, computed by taking the arithmetic mean of the absolute values of the deviations of the functional values from some central value, usually the mean or median.
Also called
average deviation.
Origin of mean deviation
First recorded in 1890–95
Words nearby mean deviation
Definition for average deviation (2 of 2)
British Dictionary definitions for average deviation (1 of 2)
British Dictionary definitions for average deviation (2 of 2)
mean deviation
noun statistics
the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
Also: mean deviation from the mean, mean deviation from the median, average deviation
a measure of dispersion derived by computing the mean of the absolute values of the differences between observed values of a variable and the variable's mean
Scientific definitions for average deviation
mean deviation
In a statistical distribution, the average of the absolute values of the differences between individual numbers and their mean.