histogram

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/ˈhɪstəˌɡɹæm/

noun

A graphical display of numerical data in the form of upright bars, with the area of each bar representing frequency.

Less commonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounhistogram (plural histograms)

plural histograms · alternative histogramme

  1. mathematicsA graphical display of numerical data in the form of upright bars, with the area of each bar representing frequency.

    The use of the piecewise linear frequency polygon (FP) in place of the underlying histogram would seem mainly a graphical advantage.

    2005, D. W. Scott, S. R. Sain, “Multidimensional density estimation”, in C. R. Rao, E. J. Wegman, J. L. Solka, editors, Data Mining and Data Visualization, Elsevier, page 237
    2 more examples

    Such distinctions, however, require detailed information, such as histograms of the distribution of energy use among residential customers, both by month and by year.

    1983, Alan Meier, Janice Wright, Arthur H. Rosenfeld, Supplying Energy Through Greater Efficiency: The Potential for Conservation, University of California Press, page 39

    A histogram is constructed by placing the variable of interest on the horizontal axis and the frequency, relative frequency or percent frequency on the vertical axis.[…]Histograms for data found in applications are never perfectly symmetric, but the histogram for many applications may be roughly symmetric.

    2017, David R. Anderson, Dennis J. Sweeney, Thomas A. Williams, Jeffrey D. Camm, James J. Cochran, Essentials of Statistics for Business and Economics, Cengage Learning, page 44
verbhistogram (third-person singular simple present histograms, present participle histogramming, simple past and past participle histogrammed)

present singular third person histograms · participle present histogramming · participle past histogrammed · past histogrammed · alternative histogramme

  1. transitiveTo represent (data) as a histogram.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἱστός“mast”
  2. Englishhistogram

Probably from Ancient Greek ἱστός (histós, “mast”) + γράμμα (grámma), although it is sometimes claimed to have been derived from historical + diagram; coined in 1891 by English mathematician Karl Pearson.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хистогра́ма
  • хистогра́ма (histográma)graphical display
Catalan histograma
  • histogramagraphical display
Chinese Mandarin 直方圖 /直方图, 柱狀圖 /柱状图
  • 直方圖 /直方图 (zhífāngtú)graphical display
  • 柱狀圖 /柱状图 (zhùzhuàngtú)graphical display
Czech histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Danish histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Dutch histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Estonian histogramm
  • histogrammgraphical display
Finnish histogrammi
  • histogrammigraphical display
French histogramme
  • histogrammegraphical display
German Histogramm
  • Histogrammgraphical display
Greek ιστόγραμμα
  • ιστόγραμμα (istógramma)graphical display
Hebrew היסטוגרמה
  • היסטוגרמה (histográma)graphical display
Hindi आयतचित्र
  • आयतचित्र (āyatcitra)graphical display
Hungarian hisztogram
  • hisztogramgraphical display
Icelandic súlurit, stuðlarit
  • súluritgraphical display
  • stuðlaritgraphical display
Indonesian histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Irish histeagram
  • histeagramgraphical display
Malay histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Māori kauwhata pouhere
  • kauwhata pouheregraphical display
Polish histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Portuguese histograma
  • histogramagraphical display
Russian гистогра́мма
  • гистогра́мма (gistográmma)graphical display
Spanish histograma
  • histogramagraphical display
Swedish histogram
  • histogramgraphical display
Tagalog taladalasan
  • taladalasangraphical display
Vietnamese biểu đồ cột
  • biểu đồ cộtgraphical display
Cite this entry
APA

histogram. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/histogram

MLA

“histogram.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/histogram. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “histogram,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/histogram.

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