standard error
noun
: the standard deviation of the probability function or probability density function of a random variable and especially of a statistic
specifically
: the standard error of the mean of a sample from a population with a normal distribution that is equal to the standard deviation of the normal distribution divided by the square root of the sample size
Examples of standard error in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The state reviewed Praxis tests across all subjects taken from September 2019 through August 2021 and found 1,200 teachers scored one standard error measure below the passing score, according to a chart Marcum shared.
—
al, 13 June 2022
And in the context of intellectual disability, that standard error of measurement is plus or minus five points...
—Tasha Lemley, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2022
Jilly said there are standard errors that come up in testing, and since the amount of virus in the test sample was so low, the instance didn’t concern him.
—Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, 25 May 2020
Their calculated standard error is 6.5 percent when connected to the phone app and 7.3 percent when connected to the Garmin watch.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 9 May 2020
The x-axis shows the effect size reported by the study, while the y-axis represents the standard error of the effect size, which is usually inversely related to the sample size.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2017
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al, 13 June 2022
And in the context of intellectual disability, that standard error of measurement is plus or minus five points...
—Tasha Lemley, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2022
Jilly said there are standard errors that come up in testing, and since the amount of virus in the test sample was so low, the instance didn’t concern him.
—Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, 25 May 2020
Their calculated standard error is 6.5 percent when connected to the phone app and 7.3 percent when connected to the Garmin watch.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 9 May 2020
The x-axis shows the effect size reported by the study, while the y-axis represents the standard error of the effect size, which is usually inversely related to the sample size.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Standard error.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard%20error. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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