statistics

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A 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.

2. 2
   noun

   A 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.

3. 3
   noun

   a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters

4. 4
   noun

   plural of statistic

5. 5
   verb

   third-person singular simple present indicative of statistic

Etymology

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.