Meaning & use

normal distribution

noun·Academic

A symmetric, bell-shaped probability distribution in which most values cluster around the mean.

See it in a sentence

Test scores in the large class followed a roughly normal distribution.

Under a normal distribution, about 68 percent of values fall within one standard deviation of the mean.

A note on using this word

The normal distribution, also called the Gaussian distribution, underlies many statistical tests and models of natural variation.

Words with a similar meaning

gaussian distributionbell curve

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