mean deviation

noun

Statistics.

1. a measure of dispersion, computed by taking the arithmetic mean of the absolute values of the deviations of the functional values from some central value, usually the mean or median.

mean deviation

noun

1. the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean

2. Also: mean deviation from the mean.  mean deviation from the median.  average deviation. a measure of dispersion derived by computing the mean of the absolute values of the differences between observed values of a variable and the variable's mean

mean deviation

1. In a statistical distribution, the average of the absolute values of the differences between individual numbers and their mean.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mean deviation¹

First recorded in 1890–95