random error
noun Statistics.
an error that has a random distribution and can be attributed to chance.
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What Bizarre Error Gave California Its Name?When the Spanish first began exploring the Pacific Coast of North America, they mistakenly believed that California was an island. (Some of the earliest and most fascinating maps of the state depict it as separated from the mainland.) This is considered one of the greatest, albeit short-lived, cartographic errors. Early mapmakers began labeling the “island” as California, the name of a mythical island in a book …
Nearby words
randolph, john, random, random access, random access memory, random coil, random error, random line, random mating, random number, random numbers, random rubble
Compare systematic error.
Origin of random error
First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019