confidence interval

noun

: a group of continuous or discrete adjacent values that is used to estimate a statistical parameter (such as a mean or variance) and that tends to include the true value of the parameter a predetermined proportion of the time if the process of finding the group of values is repeated a number of times

Examples of confidence interval in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier versions of the model escaped sandboxes, posted exploit details publicly, covered tracks in git, searched process memory for credentials, and deliberately fudged confidence intervals to avoid triggering safety flags. —Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2026

The margin of error is plus or minus 3.46 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence interval. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

The confidence interval came in below the pre-specified threshold, a miss that could complicate regulatory review despite the overall data and safety profile looking solid, STAT’s Matthew Herper writes. —Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026

Villa’s xG of 4.33 reflects what the model would expect in a typical season, but shooting from far out is noisy, so models also produce ranges — known as confidence intervals — showing where the actual total is likely to fall. —Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above