bell curve

[ bel kurv ]

noun

, Statistics.

1. a frequency curve that resembles the outline of a bell, such as the normal curve:

   The function is balanced, meaning that the distribution of index values typically follows a bell curve, not a flat linear distribution.

bell curve

1. A symmetrical bell-shaped curve that represents the distribution of values, frequencies, or probabilities of a set of data. It slopes downward from a point in the middle corresponding to the mean value, or the maximum probability. Data that reflect the aggregate outcome of large numbers of unrelated events tend to result in bell curve distributions.
2. ◆ The Gaussian or normal distribution is a mathematically well-defined bell curve used in statistics and in science generally.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bell curve¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

“The Bell Curve” implicitly rejected all of them, arguing against engaging in any argument at all.

From Salon

"The Bell Curve" doesn't call for Black people to be enslaved, but it does suggest that they might be kept fenced into high tech "reservations" for people who are too weak-minded to do work.

From Salon

I think if we acknowledge that this is a psyop, rather than a reasonable policy document, it becomes very obvious that "The Bell Curve" is dealing in mythology rather than science.

From Salon

First and most obviously, his Silicon Valley backers not only embrace the eugenic arguments advanced in “The Bell Curve,” but center those arguments ideologically.

From Salon

The "Bell Curve" myth is also a story about meritocracy — it suggests that white people control the majority of our nation's wealth because they deserve it, due to their mental prowess.

From Salon