sample space

American

noun

Mathematics.

the collection of all possible results of an experiment, represented as points.

sample space British

noun

statistics the set of possible outcomes of an experiment; the range of values of a random variable

"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 sample space

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

Draw a diagram showing the sample space of a standard deck of 52 cards.

From Textbooks • Sep. 23, 2020

For example, the sample space for rolling a dice is the set 1,2,3,4,5,6.This notation is referred to as roster notation.

From Textbooks • Sep. 23, 2020

The sample space S for a probability model is the set of all possible outcomes.

From Textbooks • Sep. 23, 2020

As we have larger numbers of items in the sample space, such as a full deck of 52 cards, the ability to write out the sample space becomes impossible.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

The sample space is listed below the distribution.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

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