Deseasonalizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Adjusting statistical data to remove the effects of recurring seasonal patterns so underlying trends become visible
2. Eliminating periodic fluctuations caused by seasons from a dataset to reveal the true underlying movement
3. Stripping away predictable seasonal swings from numerical information to expose the genuine trajectory beneath

Etymology: "Deseasonalizing" is a straightforward formation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory. It combines the prefix "de-", meaning removal or reversal, with "seasonal" and the verb-forming suffix "-ize", followed by the present participle ending "-ing". Taken together it describes the act of removing seasonal variation from data, most often economic or statistical figures such as monthly sales or unemployment numbers, so that underlying trends become easier to see. The base words carry the older history. "Season" came into English from Old French "seson", from Latin "satio", meaning a sowing, and "seasonal" was built on it in English. The "-ize" suffix comes through Greek "-izein" and Latin "-izare", and it has long been used to turn adjectives into verbs.

Synonyms: deseasonalize