Correlation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌkɒɹ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. A statistical relationship that denotes how two or more variables are interrelated and can signal changes in one based on the other
2. A measure that indicates the degree to which changes in one variable are associated with changes in another variable, revealing potential links or influences
3. A statistical expression that reflects the way two or more variables are interconnected, indicating how the variation in one may relate to changes in another variable

Etymology: "Correlation" is a fairly plain formation: it combines "correlate" with the suffix "-ion," which turns a verb into a noun for an action or process. "Correlate" itself is built from Latin "com-," meaning "together" or "with," and "relatus," meaning "related," so the word literally names the state of things being related to one another. The Latin prefix "com-" appears in the same way in words such as "combine" and "concur." The noun came into English through Middle French "corrélation," and its meaning has stayed close to that core sense. Its scope has widened, though: where the word once referred mainly to a reciprocal relation between two things, it is now used most often in statistics and science to describe how closely two variables move together. A positive correlation means they rise and fall in step, while a negative one means that one tends to rise as the other falls.

Synonyms: connection, association, relationship, link, interrelation

Antonyms: disconnection, dissociation, separation