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covariate

American  
[koh-vair-ee-it, ‑-eyt] / koʊˈvɛər i ɪt, ‑ˌeɪt /

noun

Statistics.

  1. a continuous control variable that is observed rather than manipulated but can affect the outcome of an experiment or study.

    You need to adjust for education level and other covariates in interpreting the results.

Etymology

Origin of covariate

First recorded in 1965–70; co- + variate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.