frequentism

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noun

An interpretation of probability in terms of frequency, often specifically as the limit of the relative frequency of an event as the sample size approaches infinity.

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Meanings

nounfrequentism (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAn interpretation of probability in terms of frequency, often specifically as the limit of the relative frequency of an event as the sample size approaches infinity.

    Galavotti regards this as an open problem, as some passages from his Philosophical Papers seem to suggest that Ramsey, like Carnap, admitted two notions of probability: one epistemic and subjective, and one empirical and close to frequentism.

    2007 October 30, Margherita Benzi, “Maria Carla Galavotti, Philosophical Introduction to Probability”, in Erkenntnis, volume 68, number 2, →DOI

Origin

From frequent + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“frequentism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frequentism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frequentism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frequentism.

Source: frequentism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.