Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Type II error

American  

noun

  1. the error made in the statistical testing of a hypothesis by accepting the null hypothesis when it is actually false.


type II error British  

noun

  1. statistics the error of not rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false. The probability of avoiding such an error is the power of the test and is a function of the alternative hypothesis

"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

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.

Type II error: Frank goes climbing, thinking that his equipment is safe, but this is a mistake, and he painfully realizes that his equipment is not as safe as it should have been.

From Textbooks • Mar. 27, 2020

What is the probability of a Type II error?

From Textbooks • Sep. 19, 2013

In this scenario, the Type II error contains the more severe consequence.

From Textbooks • Sep. 19, 2013

What is the relationship between the Type II error and the power of a test?

From Textbooks • Sep. 19, 2013

A Type I error occurs when a true hypothesis is rejected, and a Type II error occurs when a false hypothesis is accepted.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos