Covariances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A statistic that describes how two variables change together and the degree to which they deviate from their expected values simultaneously
2. A measure of the extent to which two random variables vary in tandem, revealing their linear relationship
3. A mathematical expectation of the product of deviations of two variables from their respective means, indicating their mutual variability

Etymology: "Covariances" is the plural of "covariance," the average of the products of two variables' deviations from their means. The noun is built from the prefix "co-" ("together") and "variance," which comes from Latin "variare," "to change or vary," and ultimately "varius," "diverse."