bell curve

American  

[bel kurv] / ˈbɛl ˌkɜrv /

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.

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bell curve Scientific  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of bell curve

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

“I don’t think it’s reached the top of the bell curve by any means,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

And he added that museum officials are always looking at the bell curve: “When the price goes up, attendance goes down.”

From New York Times • Aug. 1, 2023

If you conceptualize communication styles as existing on a chart, that graph would be shaped like a bell curve, and neurotypicals are the people who rest on the meaty section in the middle.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2023

It’s helpful to look at temperatures like a bell curve, rather than just the average which doesn’t reveal “hidden extremes,” said Princeton University climate scientist Gabe Vecchi.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Colin saw the Dumper/Dumpee dichotomy on a bell curve.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green