bell curve

[ bel-kurv ]
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nounStatistics.
  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.

Origin of bell curve

1
First recorded in 1915–20
  • Also called bell-shaped curve [bel-sheypt kurv] /ˈbɛlˌʃeɪpt ˌkɜrv/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bell curve in a sentence

Scientific definitions for bell curve

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.♦ The Gaussian or normal distribution is a mathematically well-defined bell curve used in statistics and in science generally.

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