Meanings
p-hacking1
alternative P-hacking
- uncountablemathematicsThe practice of reanalysis of data until a desired result is obtained which is statistically significant.
Cherry-picking promising findings, also known by such terms as data dredging, significance chasing, significance questing, selective inference, and “p-hacking,” leads to a spurious excess of statistically significant results in the published literature and should be vigorously avoided.
[2016, Ronald L. Wasserstein, Nicole A. Lazar, “The ASA Statement on p-Values: Context, Process, and Purpose”, in The American Statistician, volume 70, number 2, →DOISynonyms: data dredging, data snooping
P-hacking2
- uncountableAlternative letter-case form of p-hacking
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe practice of reanalysis of data until a desired result is obtained which is statistically significant.
Origin
Blend of p-value + hacking, from "p" for probability. Coined by researchers Uri Simonsohn, Leif D. Nelson, and Joseph P. Simmons, in 2014.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
p-hacking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p-hacking
“p-hacking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p-hacking. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “p-hacking,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p-hacking.
Source: p-hacking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.