Statistics Definitions in Plain English with Examples

statistics definitionsConfused about a term in statistics? Check out our explanations for statistical terms. Statistics definitions in simple English! Many of the statistics definitions you’ll find here include videos, graphs and charts to make the explanations easier to understand.

Finding What You Need

I have listed the most popular articles here. Hit Ctrl & F and then type in your search term (or you can just scroll down). A multitude of articles are not listed here. If I added all the terms on the site, it would be a thousand links long! The best way to find statistics definitions is to perform a search. At the top right of the page (or directly to the right on some browsers), you’ll see a search button. Click on that, and type in the term you want to find.

Also, check out our Calculus Definitions page, which has hundreds of definitions for statistics-based-calculus!

Statistics Definitions in Alphabetical Order

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Style Notes

I try to keep things simple with definitions, using as few words as possible. That’s because these articles are aimed at beginners, or lay people who want an overview. Some people say the articles are too simple. If you’re looking for more in depth, head over to Wolfram or Wikipedia. Those places are going to have a lot more formulas, but be prepared to do a bit of translation.

Why I Started This Site

I remember when I first started learning statistics. I’d look up a term, and what I got was either one sentence (not helpful) or a two page technical manual. Often the words in the manual were ones I didn’t know and they were usually not explained at all. I’d have to go on the hunt for a term and often it would turn into an hours long venture to find what I wanted. What I wanted was simple: an overview of the term so that I could get a general idea of what it was.
Once you’ve got an overview of a topic, then things start to connect in your brain. Things start falling into place. Then you can go back and tackle the in-depth stuff.

I started this site in 2009 and back then, there was little out there in the way of simple explanations. Now it seems there’s a lot of choices from large sites with articles not written by statisticians. That’s where this site is different:

  1. I’m a statistician, and I’ve taught statistics at the college/university level.
  2. I’ve got a graduate degree in education, which means I know how to get my point across in a variety of ways. If you don’t like reading, then there’s usually a video. I’m working on videos all the time to add to articles.
  3. I have struggled with math my whole life. So I know what it’s like to “not get it.” Give me a page of equations and I still get sweaty palms and a churning stomach.
  4. This site is for YOU, not me, and I love feedback. The bulk of the articles on here were developed in part with feedback and comments.

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