skewed distribution

Meaning

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A pattern of data in which values bunch up on one side and trail off in a long tail on the other, so it is not symmetrical.

   Grammar: Countable: a skewed distribution, two skewed distributions.

   Patterns

   • a skewed distribution of something
   • a distribution that is skewed to the right

   Household income usually follows a skewed distribution because a few people earn very high amounts.

   In a skewed distribution, the mean and the median are often far apart.

   The teacher noticed a skewed distribution of marks, with most students scoring high.

Word forms

Common combinations

positively skewed distribution

Salaries often form a positively skewed distribution.

negatively skewed distribution

Scores on an easy test can create a negatively skewed distribution.

right-skewed distribution

The graph shows a right-skewed distribution with a long upper tail.

analyze a skewed distribution

Researchers must analyze a skewed distribution with care.

highly skewed distribution

A highly skewed distribution can make the average misleading.

Synonyms and how they differ

asymmetric distribution

A broader phrase meaning any lopsided shape, whereas skewed distribution points to one long tail in particular.

lopsided distribution

Informal and non-technical; skewed distribution is the term to use in a report or exam.

Opposites

Word family

skew verb

to distort so that something leans one way

skewness noun

a measure of how lopsided a distribution is

skewed adjective

leaning or distorted to one side

distribute verb

to spread or share out

Commonly confused: skewed distribution or normal distribution?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “skewed distribution”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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