Bessel's correction

proper noun

The use of n − 1 instead of n in the formula for the sample variance and sample standard deviation, where n is the number of observations in a sample. This corrects the bias in the estimation of the population variance and partially corrects the bias in the estimation of the population standard deviation, but often also increases the mean squared error in these estimations.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. mathematicsThe use of n − 1 instead of n in the formula for the sample variance and sample standard deviation, where n is the number of observations in a sample. This corrects the bias in the estimation of the population variance and partially corrects the bias in the estimation of the population standard deviation, but often also increases the mean squared error in these estimations.

Origin

Named after Friedrich Bessel.

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Cite this entry
APA

Bessel's correction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bessel's%20correction

MLA

“Bessel's correction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bessel's%20correction. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bessel's correction,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bessel's%20correction.

Source: Bessel's correction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.