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 Under two of the three possible options, a lower score – within one standard error measure of the passing score – would be accepted in exchange for showing that educators had received high-quality training in a different way. al, 13 June 2022 And that initial generation is likely to have been somewhat recent, as the authors estimate that the average date of admixture was ~8 generations before the present, with a standard error of 1 generation. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2011 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 The graph plots the effect size reported by each study against the standard error of the effect size - essentially, the precision of the results, which is mostly determined by the sample size. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2015 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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standard error.' 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

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of standard error was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near standard error

Cite this Entry

“Standard error.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard%20error. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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