Main Entry: pa·ram·e·ter

Pronunciation: \pə-ˈram-ə-tər\

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin, from para- + Greek metron measure — more at measure

Date: 1852

1 a : an arbitrary constant whose value characterizes a member of a system (as a family of curves); also : a quantity (as a mean or variance) that describes a statistical population b : an independent variable used to express the coordinates of a variable point and functions of them — compare parametric equation
2 : any of a set of physical properties whose values determine the characteristics or behavior of something <parameters of the atmosphere such as temperature, pressure, and density>
3 : something represented by a parameter : a characteristic element; broadly : characteristic, element, factor <political dissent as a parameter of modern life>
4 : limit, boundary —usually used in plural <the parameters of science fiction>

— para·met·ric \ˌpa-rə-ˈme-trik\ adjective

— para·met·ri·cal·ly \-tri-k(ə-)lē\ adverb