statistics

S1T1A1T1I1S1T1I1C3S1
/stəˈtɪs.tɪks/

noun

A discipline, principally within applied mathematics, concerned with the systematic study of the collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data.

“The statistics from the Census for apportionment are available.”

Similar
Very commonScrabble 12

Meanings

statistics1

nounstatistics (uncountable)

alternative obsolete statisticks

  1. uncountableA discipline, principally within applied mathematics, concerned with the systematic study of the collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data.

    Statistics is the only mathematical field required for many social sciences.

    3 more examples

    As for statistics, the foundations include, on any interpretation of which I have ever heard, the foundations of probability, as controversial a subject as one could name. As in other sciences, controversies over the foundations of statistics reflect themselves to some extent in everyday practice, nut not nearly so catastrophically as one might imagine.[…]It is hard to judge, however, to what extent the relative calm of modern statistics is due to its domination by a vigorous school relatively well agreed within itself about the foundations.

    1972, Leonard J. Savage, The Foundations of Statistics, Dover, page 1

    2004, David C. LeBlanc, Statistics: Concepts and Applications for Science, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, page 61, The application of statistics in the process of science can be divided into three parts: (1) obtaining data (experiment and sampling design), (2) summarizing and describing data (exploratory data analysis, descriptive statistics), and (3) using data from samples and experiments to make estimates and test competing hypotheses about the universe (inferential statistics).

    We live our lives in three dimensions for our threescore and ten allotted years. Yet every branch of contemporary science, from statistics to cosmology, alludes to processes that operate on scales outside of human experience: the millisecond and the nanometer, the eon and the light-year.

    2012 January 28, Robert L. Dorit, “Rereading Darwin”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 14 Nov 2012, page 23

statistics2

nounstatistics pl (plural only)

alternative obsolete statisticks

  1. pluralplural onlyA systematic collection of data on measurements or observations, often related to demographic information such as population counts, incomes, population counts at different ages, etc.

    The statistics from the Census for apportionment are available.

    2 more examples

    Sufficient statistics for a given estimation problem are a collection of statistics or, equivalently, a collection of functions of the random sample, that summarize or represent all of the information in a random sample that is useful for estimating any #92;textbf#123;q#125;(#92;#33;#92;boldsymbol#92;Theta#92;#33;).

    1996, Ron C. Mittelhammer, Mathematical Statistics for Economics and Business, Springer, page 389

    “Over the past month, the Department has held three separate meetings with the ACLU to receive feedback and engage the organization in the solutions,” the department said in a statement. “As a result of the meetings, the Department agrees that publishing FIO statistics going forward is necessary, and the Department is working toward personalizing interactions between officers and citizens.”

    2014 October 9, Marina Carver, “Study finds Boston police target African-Americans disproportionately”, in CNN

    Synonyms: stats

statistics3

noun

alternative obsolete statisticks

  1. pluralplural of statistic
verb

alternative obsolete statisticks

  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of statistic

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA systematic collection of data on measurements or observations, often related to demographic information such as population counts, incomes, population counts at different ages, etc.

Similar

Origin

statistics · noun

  1. Italianstatista“statesman, politician”
  2. New Latinstatisticum“of the state”
  3. GermanStatistik
  4. Englishstatistics

From German Statistik, from New Latin statisticum (“of the state”) and Italian statista (“statesman, politician”), compare English statist. Statistik introduced by Gottfried Achenwall (1749), originally designated the analysis of data about the state.

Full word history & related roots →

statistics · noun, verb

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عِلْم اَلْإِحْصَاء, إِحْصَائِيَّات
  • عِلْم اَلْإِحْصَاء (ʕilm al-ʔiḥṣāʔ)mathematical discipline
  • إِحْصَائِيَّات (ʔiḥṣāʔiyyāt)mathematical discipline
  • إِحْصَاء (ʔiḥṣāʔ)mathematical discipline
  • إِحْصَائِيَّة (ʔiḥṣāʔiyya)collection of measurements
  • إِحْصَاء (ʔiḥṣāʔ)collection of measurements
Basque estatistika, estatistika
  • estatistikamathematical discipline
  • estatistikacollection of measurements
Bengali পরিসংখ্যান
  • পরিসংখ্যান (poriśoṅkhan)mathematical discipline
Bulgarian стати́стика, стати́стика
  • стати́стика (statístika)mathematical discipline
  • стати́стика (statístika)collection of measurements
Catalan estadística
  • estadísticamathematical discipline
Chinese Mandarin 統計學 /统计学, 統計 /统计
  • 統計學 /统计学 (tǒngjìxué)mathematical discipline
  • 統計 /统计 (tǒngjì)collection of measurements
Czech statistika, statistika
  • statistikamathematical discipline
  • statistikacollection of measurements
Danish statistik, statistik
  • statistikmathematical discipline
  • statistikcollection of measurements
Dutch statistiek, statistiek
  • statistiekmathematical discipline
  • statistiekcollection of measurements
Esperanto statistiko
  • statistikomathematical discipline
Estonian statistika, statistika
  • statistikamathematical discipline
  • statistikacollection of measurements
Finnish tilastotiede, tilasto
  • tilastotiedemathematical discipline
  • tilastocollection of measurements
  • tilastotiedotcollection of measurements
  • tilastotcollection of measurements
French statistique, statistiques
  • statistiquemathematical discipline
  • statistiquescollection of measurements
German Statistik, Statistik
  • Statistikmathematical discipline
  • Statistikcollection of measurements
Greek στατιστική, στατιστική
  • στατιστική (statistikí)mathematical discipline
  • στατιστική (statistikí)collection of measurements
Hebrew סְטָטִיסְטִיקָה
  • סְטָטִיסְטִיקָה (statístika)mathematical discipline
Hindi सांख्यिकी, आँकड़े
  • सांख्यिकी (sāṅkhyikī)mathematical discipline
  • आँकड़े (ā̃kṛe)collection of measurements
Hungarian statisztika, statisztika
  • statisztikamathematical discipline
  • statisztikacollection of measurements
Icelandic tölfræði, tölfræði
  • tölfræðimathematical discipline
  • tölfræðicollection of measurements
Indonesian statistika
  • statistikamathematical discipline
Irish staidreamh, figiúirí
  • staidreamhmathematical discipline
  • figiúirímathematical discipline
Italian statistica, statistica
  • statisticamathematical discipline
  • statisticacollection of measurements
Japanese 統計学, 統計
  • 統計学 (tōkeigaku)mathematical discipline
  • 統計 (tōkei)collection of measurements
Korean 통계학, 통계
  • 통계학 (tonggyehak)mathematical discipline
  • 통계 (tonggye)collection of measurements
Latvian statistika, statistika
  • statistikamathematical discipline
  • statistikacollection of measurements
Lithuanian statistika, statistika
  • statistikamathematical discipline
  • statistikacollection of measurements
Malay perangkaan, statistik
  • perangkaanmathematical discipline
  • statistikmathematical discipline
Māori tatauranga
  • tataurangamathematical discipline
Norwegian Bokmål statistikk, statistikk
  • statistikkmathematical discipline
  • statistikkcollection of measurements
Persian آمار
  • آمار (âmâr)mathematical discipline
Polish statystyka, statystyka
  • statystykamathematical discipline
  • statystykacollection of measurements
Portuguese estatística, estatísticas
  • estatísticamathematical discipline
  • estatísticascollection of measurements
Romanian statistică, statistică
  • statisticămathematical discipline
  • statisticăcollection of measurements
Russian стати́стика, стати́стика
  • стати́стика (statístika)mathematical discipline
  • стати́стика (statístika)collection of measurements
Slovak štatistika, štatistika
  • štatistikamathematical discipline
  • štatistikacollection of measurements
Spanish estadística, estadística
  • estadísticamathematical discipline
  • estadísticacollection of measurements
Swahili takwimu
  • takwimumathematical discipline
Swedish statistik, statistik
  • statistikmathematical discipline
  • statistikcollection of measurements
Tagalog palaulatan, estadistika
  • palaulatanmathematical discipline
  • estadistikamathematical discipline
Tamil புள்ளியியல்
  • புள்ளியியல் (puḷḷiyiyal)mathematical discipline
Thai สถิติ, สถิติศาสตร์
  • สถิติ (sà-tì-dtì)mathematical discipline
  • สถิติศาสตร์ (sà-tì-dtì-sàat)mathematical discipline
  • สถิติ (sà-tì-dtì)collection of measurements
Turkish istatistik, istatistik
  • istatistikmathematical discipline
  • istatistikcollection of measurements
Ukrainian стати́стика, стати́стика
  • стати́стика (statýstyka)mathematical discipline
  • стати́стика (statýstyka)collection of measurements
Urdu شماریات
  • شماریات (śomāriyāt)mathematical discipline
Vietnamese thống kê học, thống kê
  • thống kê họcmathematical discipline
  • thống kêcollection of measurements
Welsh ystadaeth, ystadegau
  • ystadaethmathematical discipline
  • ystadegaucollection of measurements
Yiddish סטאַטיסטיק, סטאַטיסטיק
  • סטאַטיסטיק (statistik)mathematical discipline
  • סטאַטיסטיק (statistik)collection of measurements

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with statistics

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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