statistical
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of statistical
First recorded in 1590–1600; statistic(s) + -al 1
Explanation
If you can say it with numbers, then it is probably statistical. Statistical information (or "stats") can tell the chance of rain tomorrow or what percentage or your allowance gets spent on texting. Statistics is the science of gathering numerical information in large amounts and using it to make broad deductions — such as the one that famously declared the average British family in the 1980s had 2.4 children. Of course, that was nonsense, and the statisticians later amended it — to 1.6. Statistical answers, as the previous example shows, often need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Vocabulary lists containing statistical
Nothing But the Truth
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
How It Went Down
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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 argument is over how close the system is to a threshold - and how much weight to give to each kind of evidence: ancient climate records, modern observations, statistical warnings and complex climate models.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Brown, a veteran quantitative trader, covers a huge range of statistical illusions, delusions, distortions, and disinformation—in fields ranging from public health to foreign policy, from portfolio management to crime novels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
It combined biological research conducted by Dr. Shahid Khan during his doctoral studies with computational and statistical analysis developed by Dr. Satyaki Roy, professor of mathematical sciences, along with contributions from graduate student Owen Trippany.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Although the data is confidential, Walmart likely already provides a lot of information to U.S. economic statistical agencies, said Omair Sharif, founder and president of Inflation Insights.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Yet another lure into a garden path comes from the statistical patterns of the English language, in which certain words are likely to precede or follow others.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
