random error

noun

Statistics.

1. an error that has a random distribution and can be attributed to chance.

Word History and Origins

Origin of random error¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Although that was most likely just a random error - unsurprising perhaps, given the volume of interest.

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But it was not a random error, either.

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Researchers have shown that when the coronavirus replicates, around 3% of new virus copies have a new, random error, otherwise known as a mutation.

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He concluded the data were “produced artificially … without pouring enough random error over it to make it appear more natural.”

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In 2006, Tom Tango, an alias used by the senior database architect of stats for MLB Advanced Media, explained how True Score Theory, which assumes that any observed result is the sum of an underlying “true” skill and a random error component, can be used to decipher how many games you need to play in various sports leagues to witness the truly better team have the better record.

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