central tendency

noun

: the degree of clustering of the values of a statistical distribution that is usually measured by the arithmetic mean, mode, or median

Examples of central tendency in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is worsened by the fact many pollsters provide only two possible answers to a question in lieu of a more representative and comprehensive Likert scale, eliminating the central tendency and artificially reducing a spectrum of responses towards dichotomous poles. —Steven Tian, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2022

The rate of adaptation is proportional to the amount of heritable phenotypic variation extant within the population, because selection needs variance away from the old optimum toward the new one to shift the population central tendency. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2010

There are three basic measures of central tendency, and three not-so-basic. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2021

In fact the distribution was closer to normal, with a central tendency and a variance about the mode. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2010

Avoid the central tendency bias as your employees will likely perform differently. —Erin Imhof, Forbes, 23 June 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

central tendency

noun

: the extent to which statistical values fall around a middle value

the mean, median, and mode are all used to measure central tendency