- the difference between an observed value of a variable and its mean
- Also: mean deviation from the mean, mean deviation from the median, average deviation a measure of dispersion derived by computing the mean of the absolute values of the differences between observed values of a variable and the variable's mean
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mean′ devia′tion, [Statistics.]
- Statisticsa measure of dispersion, computed by taking the arithmetic mean of the absolute values of the deviations of the functional values from some central value, usually the mean or median. Also called average deviation.
- 1890–95
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
mean deviation n
'mean deviation' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):