standard deviation
noun Statistics.
a measure of dispersion in a frequency distribution, equal to the square root of the mean of the squares of the deviations from the arithmetic mean of the distribution.
Origin of standard deviation
First recorded in 1920–25
Words nearby standard deviation
British Dictionary definitions for standard deviation
standard deviation
noun
statistics
a measure of dispersion obtained by extracting the square root of the mean of the squared deviations of the observed values from their mean in a frequency distribution
Medical definitions for standard deviation
standard deviation
n. Symbol
A statistic used as a measure of the dispersion or variation in a distribution, equal to the square root of the arithmetic mean of the squares of the deviations from the arithmetic mean.
Scientific definitions for standard deviation
standard deviation
[ stăn′dərd ]
A statistic used as a measure of the dispersion or variation in a distribution, equal to the square root of the arithmetic mean of the squares of the deviations from the arithmetic mean.
Cultural definitions for standard deviation
standard deviation
In statistics, a measure of how much the data in a certain collection are scattered around the mean. A low standard deviation means that the data are tightly clustered; a high standard deviation means that they are widely scattered.
notes for standard deviation
About sixty-eight percent of the data are within one standard deviation of the mean.