error bar

noun

: the estimated uncertainty in experimental data

Examples of error bar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Type Ia surveys continue to fill the Hubble diagram with more and more data points, and those data points are squeezing within more and more compact error bars. Richard Panek, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023 That’s a key point because fault protection to prevent damage usually has larger error bars. IEEE Spectrum, 3 July 2019 Even with thousands of voids, the study’s error bars are still too large to say anything conclusive. Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 July 2023 However, the error bar is big. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 The wider the horizontal line, the bigger the error bar. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 9 Apr. 2022 The result was a specific prediction, relying on the contributions of many theorists, with a minuscule error bar that made a clear experimental target. Robert P. Crease, Scientific American, 2 May 2021 The category estimates in the methane emissions ledger have large enough error bars on them that bumping some up and others down could accommodate this revision. Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 20 Feb. 2020 Every time the White House releases a COVID-19 model, we will be tempted to drown ourselves in endless discussions about the error bars, the clarity around the parameters, the wide range of outcomes, and the applicability of the underlying data. Zeynep Tufekci, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'error bar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of error bar was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near error bar

Cite this Entry

“Error bar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/error%20bar. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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