random variable

American

noun

Statistics.

a quantity that takes any of a set of values with specified probabilities.

random variable British

noun

rv. statistics a quantity that may take any of a range of values, either continuous or discrete, which cannot be predicted with certainty but only described probabilistically

"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

Etymology

Origin of random variable

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The values of a random variable can vary with each repetition of an experiment, often called a trial.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

The random variable for the exponential distribution is continuous and often measures a passage of time, although it can be used in other applications.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

The number of events, four in the graph, is measured in counting numbers; therefore, the random variable of the Poisson is a discrete random variable.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

The random variable is the quantity of fluid placed in the bottles.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

The myriad factors affecting innovativeness make the historian’s task paradoxically easier, by converting societal variation in innovativeness into essentially a random variable.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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