mean deviation
- 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.
Show More
Origin of mean deviation
First recorded in 1890–95
Also called average deviation.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
mean deviation
- the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
- 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
Show More
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
mean deviation
- In a statistical distribution, the average of the absolute values of the differences between individual numbers and their mean.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.