Bayesian network

UK/ˈbeɪ.zjən ˈnɛt.wɜːk/US/ˈbeɪ.zjən ˈnɛt.wɝk/

noun

A directed acyclic graph whose vertices represent random variables and whose directed edges represent conditional dependencies. Each random variable can fall into any of at least two mutually disjoint states, and has a probability function which takes as inputs the states of its parent nodes and returns as output the probability of being in a certain state for a given combination of the states of its parent nodes. A node without parent nodes just has an unconditioned probability of being in some given state.

Meanings

nounBayesian network (plural Bayesian networks)

plural Bayesian networks

  1. mathematicsA directed acyclic graph whose vertices represent random variables and whose directed edges represent conditional dependencies. Each random variable can fall into any of at least two mutually disjoint states, and has a probability function which takes as inputs the states of its parent nodes and returns as output the probability of being in a certain state for a given combination of the states of its parent nodes. A node without parent nodes just has an unconditioned probability of being in some given state.

Origin

Named after Thomas Bayes (1701–1761), English mathematician.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Bayesian network. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bayesian%20network

MLA

“Bayesian network.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bayesian%20network. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bayesian network,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bayesian%20network.

Source: Bayesian network on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.