bell curve
noun
plural bell curves
: the symmetrical bell-shaped curve of a normal distribution : normal curve
Along the hilly slopes of the bell curve, most values—the data points that track whatever is being measured—are clustered around the middle. The average value is also the most common value.
David A. Shaywitz
David A. Shaywitz
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Think back to the bell curve in math class - most of the data is clumped around the middle, with more extreme events on the edges as frequency trails off. Matthew Cappucci, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Aug. 2022 The number of schools offering ISAs is sliding down the far side of the bell curve, as several other accredited colleges or universities have ended or paused their programs. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 That is, pitch ability follows a bell curve: Most people are average singers. Bryan Nichols, The Conversation, 16 Aug. 2022 My hypothesis and recommendation to founders is to be on the outskirts of this bell curve. Vibhu Singh, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 But the examples in this book are at the very far end of the delusion bell curve, representing landmark cases in the history of psychology. Lucinda Robb, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 There’s a giant missing piece in the middle of the bell curve, where all the studies with non-significant results should be. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 22 July 2022 It’s on all the other trails—the ones that fall in the fat part of the bell curve, the blues and tame blacks—where this bike really shines. Outside Online, 1 July 2020 The center of the bell curve has shifted slightly, with the world just over a degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than in the preindustrial era. Sarah Kaplan And Andrew Ba Tran, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Jan. 2022 See More
Matthew Cappucci, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Aug. 2022 The number of schools offering ISAs is sliding down the far side of the bell curve, as several other accredited colleges or universities have ended or paused their programs. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 That is, pitch ability follows a bell curve: Most people are average singers. Bryan Nichols, The Conversation, 16 Aug. 2022 My hypothesis and recommendation to founders is to be on the outskirts of this bell curve. Vibhu Singh, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 But the examples in this book are at the very far end of the delusion bell curve, representing landmark cases in the history of psychology. Lucinda Robb, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 There’s a giant missing piece in the middle of the bell curve, where all the studies with non-significant results should be. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 22 July 2022 It’s on all the other trails—the ones that fall in the fat part of the bell curve, the blues and tame blacks—where this bike really shines. Outside Online, 1 July 2020 The center of the bell curve has shifted slightly, with the world just over a degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than in the preindustrial era. Sarah Kaplan And Andrew Ba Tran, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
from the shape
First Known Use
1919, in the meaning defined above