leptokurtic

[ lep-tuh-kur-tik ]

adjective

, Statistics.

1. (of a frequency distribution) being more concentrated about the mean than the corresponding normal distribution.
2. (of a frequency distribution curve) having a high, narrow concentration about the mode.

leptokurtic

/ ˌlɛptəʊˈkɜːtɪk /

adjective

1. statistics (of a distribution) having kurtosis B2 greater than 3, more heavily concentrated about the mean than a normal distribution Compare platykurtic mesokurtic

Word History and Origins

Origin of leptokurtic¹

1900–05; lepto- + irregular transliteration of Greek kyrt ( ós ) swelling + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of leptokurtic¹

C20: from lepto- + Greek kurtos arched, bulging + -ic

Example Sentences

Conversely, when a distribution is more concentrated around the mean it is called leptokurtic, from the Greek leptos, meaning thin.

From Literature

William Sealy Gosset, a statistician who worked for the Guinness brewery in Dublin, drew the following aide-mémoire in 1908 to remember which was which: a duck-billed platypus was platykurtic and the kissing kangaroos were leptokurtic.

From Literature