skewness

[ skyoo-nis ]

noun

, Statistics.

1. asymmetry in a frequency distribution.
2. a measure of such asymmetry.

ˈskewness

/ ˈskjuːnɪs /

noun

1. the quality or condition of being skew
2. statistics a measure of the symmetry of a distribution around its mean, esp the statistic B1 = m3/ ( m2 ) 3/2, where m2 and m3 are respectively the second and third moments of the distribution around the mean. In a normal distribution, B1 = 0 See kurtosis

Word History and Origins

Origin of skewness¹

First recorded in 1890–95; skew + -ness

Example Sentences

And negative skewness is the opposite: it’s a small chance of something terrible happening such as a bank run.

From Scientific American

Plotting the global distribution of skewness in records of scientists’ citations by others ought to produce a symmetrical curve, says Wren, but doesn’t.

From Nature

For example, why do so many climate models fail to simulate the nonlinear processes associated with the SST skewness?

From Nature

That step alone would reduce the skewness of the nation’s post-tax income distribution.

From Washington Post

The first is to respond to skewness towards large values; i.e., cases in which one or a few points are much larger than the bulk of the data.

From Forbes

Related Words

• imbalance
• inequality