statistical

statistical — adjective

1. based on the collection and study of numbers and data to find patterns or test i

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

based on the collection and study of numbers and data to find patterns or test ideas

Example

At the conference, Rachel presented a statistical analysis of local rain patterns over twenty years.

collocation: statistical analysis

The statistical significance of the results depends on the size of the sample group.

collocation: statistical significance

Common collocations
  • statistical analysis
  • statistical significance
  • statistical model
  • statistical data
  • statistical methods
  • statistical evidence
  • statistical test
  • statistical technique
Synonyms
  • numerical

    broader — anything expressed in numbers, not necessarily using statistical methods

  • quantitative

    focuses on measuring amounts rather than on the formal methods of statistics

  • empirical

    based on observation or experiment, which may or may not involve statistics

Antonyms
  • anecdotal

    based on personal stories rather than on systematically collected data

  • qualitative

    concerned with qualities or descriptions rather than with numerical measurement

Grammar Patterns

statistical + noun

be + statistical

Usage Note

Commonly appears before nouns such as analysis, data, model, or significance, but also works as a predicate adjective: 'The results are purely statistical.'

Common Mistakes

The results were statistic meaningful.
The results were statistically significant.
'statistical' is the base adjective; the adverb 'statistically' is needed before adjectives like 'significant.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe ways of working with information, but they differ in scope. Statistical specifically refers to the formal discipline of collecting, organising, and analysing data — often to test a hypothesis or measure probability. Numerical simply means expressed as a number (a numerical code, a numerical score) and does not imply any method of analysis. Empirical describes knowledge gained through direct observation or experiment, which may be statistical or purely descriptive. Quantitative focuses on measurable amounts rather than on qualities, and is a broader category that includes but goes beyond statistics. For example, a researcher might collect quantitative data (age, income, test scores) and then apply a statistical model to find patterns. An empirical study could use either statistical or qualitative methods. Choose statistical when the method matters; use numerical for any number-based information, empirical for observation-based knowledge, and quantitative for measurable data in general.

statistical ↗numerical ↗empirical ↗quantitative ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • statistical analysis
  • statistical significance
  • statistical model
  • statistical data

Etymology

LatinItalianGermanEnglish

The word statistical traces back through German Statistik (the study of state affairs) to modern Latin statisticus (relating to the state) and Italian statista (statesman). The German scholar Gottfried Achenwall coined Statistik in the 1700s for the systematic description of a state's population, economy, and resources. By the early 1800s the term shifted from 'state data' to 'numerical data collected and analysed for any purpose', which is the modern meaning.