Meanings
plural random variables
- broadlymathematicsA quantity whose value is random and to which a probability distribution is assigned, such as the possible outcome of a roll of a dice.
- formalmathematicsA measurable function from a sample space to the measurable space of possible values of the variable.
The particular example considered here is the Hilbert space of random variables.
2009, Christian Perwass, Geometric Algebra with Applications in Engineering, Springer, page 3512 more examples
Henceforth the symbol X(w) will be used for the random variable X#58;S#92;rightarrow#92;mathbb#123;R#125;.
1996, Ron C. Mittelhammer, Mathematical Statistics for Economics and Business, volume 78, Springer, page 45A two-dimensional random variable is a mapping of the points in the sample space to ordered pairs {x, y}. Usually, when dealing with a pair of random variables, the sample space naturally partitions itself so that it can be viewed as a combination of two simpler sample spaces.
2012, Scott Miller, Donald Childers, Probability and Random Processes, 2nd edition, Elsevier (Academic Press), page 177Synonyms: variate, random quantity, aleatory variable, stochastic variable
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA measurable function from a sample space to the measurable space of possible values of the variable.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna variable quantity that is random
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic مُتَغَيِّر عَشْوَائِيّ
- مُتَغَيِّر عَشْوَائِيّ (mutaḡayyir ʕašwāʔiyy)measurable function from a sample space
Czech náhodná veličina
- náhodná veličinameasurable function from a sample space
Esperanto stokasto
- stokastomeasurable function from a sample space
Finnish satunnaismuuttuja
- satunnaismuuttujameasurable function from a sample space
German Zufallsvariable, Zufallsgröße
- Zufallsvariablemeasurable function from a sample space
- Zufallsgrößemeasurable function from a sample space
Greek τυχαία μεταβλητή
- τυχαία μεταβλητή (tychaía metavlití)measurable function from a sample space
Hebrew משתנה מקרי
- משתנה מקרי (mishtané mikrí)measurable function from a sample space
Hungarian valószínűségi változó, valváltozó
- valószínűségi változómeasurable function from a sample space
- valváltozómeasurable function from a sample space
Icelandic hending, slembibreyta
- hendingmeasurable function from a sample space
- slembibreytameasurable function from a sample space
- slembistærðmeasurable function from a sample space
- slembameasurable function from a sample space
Japanese 確率変数
- 確率変数measurable function from a sample space
Māori taurangi matapōkere
- taurangi matapōkeremeasurable function from a sample space
Polish zmienna losowa
- zmienna losowameasurable function from a sample space
Romanian variabilă aleatorie, variabilă incidentală
- variabilă aleatoriemeasurable function from a sample space
- variabilă incidentalămeasurable function from a sample space
Spanish variable aleatoria
- variable aleatoriameasurable function from a sample space
Swedish slumpvariabel
- slumpvariabelmeasurable function from a sample space
Tagalog alisagang aligin
- alisagang aliginmeasurable function from a sample space
Ukrainian випадко́ва величина́
- випадко́ва величина́ (vypadkóva velyčyná)measurable function from a sample space
Welsh hapnewidyn
- hapnewidynmeasurable function from a sample space
Cite this entry
random variable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/random%20variable
“random variable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/random%20variable. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “random variable,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/random%20variable.
Source: random variable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.