correlation
mutual relation of two or more things, parts, etc.: Studies find a positive correlation between severity of illness and nutritional status of the patients.
the act of correlating or state of being correlated.
Statistics. the degree to which two or more attributes or measurements on the same group of elements show a tendency to vary together.
Physiology. the interdependence or reciprocal relations of organs or functions.
Geology. the demonstrable equivalence, in age or lithology, of two or more stratigraphic units, as formations or members of such.
Origin of correlation
1- Also especially British, co·re·la·tion .
word story For correlation
Correlation has been in the English language since the 16th century. Its French cousin, corrélation, comes from Latin which literally means “restoring things together.” In English, we use it to describe a mutual relation between two things. Correlation is not to be confused with the word corollary, which is derived from an entirely different Latin root, corrollārium, a kind of ancient Roman gratuity, a “little something extra.”
In the 19th century, scholars of various disciplines adopted the term correlation to their specific areas of interest. In statistics, a correlation between two variables can be described as a numerical value. The words “positive,” “negative,” “strong,” and “direct” are often used as modifiers before correlation in this context. In the fields of biology and geology, researchers use correlation to help understand and describe various features of physiology and rock formations respectively. With the original meaning still in popular use, correlation is not just for mathematicians and scientists. Just be aware that if you casually mention correlation (in the general sense) to math enthusiasts, their initial responses might be to visualize a graph.
popular references For correlation
—Pearson correlation coefficient: a value between -1 and +1 that represents the relationship between two variables.
Other words for correlation
Other words from correlation
- cor·re·la·tion·al, adjective
- in·ter·cor·re·la·tion, noun
- mis·cor·re·la·tion, noun
- non·cor·re·la·tion, noun
Words Nearby correlation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use correlation in a sentence
Predictive systems in general will be more accurate if they can reason about cause and effect rather than just correlation.
How special relativity can help AI predict the future | Will Heaven | August 28, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewExperiments in monkeys suggest that this is more than a correlation.
Puberty can repair the brain’s stress responses after hardship early in life | Esther Landhuis | August 28, 2020 | Science NewsHis team reported causal evidence for this correlation in a November 2019 paper in Scientific Reports.
A bit of stress may help young people build resilience | Esther Landhuis | August 27, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThey were able to visualize correlations between all pairs of qubits and even uncovered long-range interactions between qubits that had not been previously detected and will be crucial for creating error-corrected devices.
New Algorithm Paves the Way Towards Error-Free Quantum Computing | Edd Gent | August 14, 2020 | Singularity HubJohnson has researched into the correlation between fatality projections and election outcomes.
The Italian health ministry said it could not prove a direct correlation between the flu vaccine and the deaths.
Darwin called the same phenomenon the “correlation of growth” and geneticist today study what they call “pleiotropic effects.”
As a designer, Gianni was completely aware of that correlation.
Princess Diana, Kate Moss, Donna Karan, and More Reactions to Gianni Versace’s 1997 Murder | The Fashion Beast Team | July 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTPast research hints at a correlation between extent of brain injury following impact and the biomechanical forces at play.
This Mouthpiece Will Save Football Players’ Brains | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD | June 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe lack of correlation between saturated fat intake and heart disease risk still stands.
By memorising a correlation, you so unite the two extremes in memory, that you need not afterwards recall the intermediates.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)How much more vivid to many persons in this example is a correlation, thus: “Mitral valves … mitred Abbots… none left … left.”
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)After you have repeated the correlation, then repeat the two extremes, thus—“Anchor” … “Bolster.”
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)Never—in the early stages of the study of the System—make a second correlation until you have memorised the first.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)If you memorise the correlation, you will recall the Name whenever you think of this Peculiarity (whatever struck you about him).
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
British Dictionary definitions for correlation
/ (ˌkɒrɪˈleɪʃən) /
a mutual or reciprocal relationship between two or more things
the act or process of correlating or the state of being correlated
statistics the extent of correspondence between the ordering of two variables. Correlation is positive or direct when two variables move in the same direction and negative or inverse when they move in opposite directions
Origin of correlation
1Derived forms of correlation
- correlational, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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