correlation
noun
cor·re·la·tion
ˌkȯr-ə-ˈlā-shən 
ˌkär-
1
: the state or relation of being correlated
specifically
: a relation existing between phenomena or things or between mathematical or statistical variables which tend to vary, be associated, or occur together in a way not expected on the basis of chance alone
… the obviously high positive correlation between scholastic aptitude and college entrance … —
J. B. Conant
J. B. Conant 2
: the act of correlating
Examples of correlation in a Sentence
the correlation of brain size and intelligence
Researchers have found a direct correlation between smoking and lung cancer.
She says that there's no correlation between being thin and being happy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers have looked for years for smoking-gun evidence that social-media use directly causes mental-health problems in young people at scale, and have mostly turned up weak and inconsistent correlations and no way to prove long-term causation.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
That's partly correlation -- healthier people are more likely to work than sicker people -- but staying in the workplace can also help people stay sharp, according to Debra Whitman, chief public policy officer for AARP.
—Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Research has shown high levels of correlation between poverty and neglect accusations.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
This correlation continues today, and not just because Piesse’s writing helped inform the modern-day olfactive pyramid.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for correlation
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Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
That's partly correlation -- healthier people are more likely to work than sicker people -- but staying in the workplace can also help people stay sharp, according to Debra Whitman, chief public policy officer for AARP.
—Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Research has shown high levels of correlation between poverty and neglect accusations.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
This correlation continues today, and not just because Piesse’s writing helped inform the modern-day olfactive pyramid.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for correlation
Cite this Entry
“Correlation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correlation. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
correlation
noun
cor·re·la·tion
ˌkȯr-ə-ˈlā-shən
ˌkär-
1
: the act or process of correlating
2
: the state of being correlated
especially
: a mutual relation discovered to exist between things
the correlation between smoking and lung cancer
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