What does interquartile range mean?

Pronunciation

/ɪntərˈkwaɪlətɪl reɪndʒ/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Noun

Definition

A statistical measure that describes the spread of a dataset, calculated as the difference between the 75th percentile (third quartile) and the 25th percentile (first quartile).

Examples

• The interquartile range of the exam scores helped identify the middle 50% of students.
• The company analyzed the interquartile range of customer ratings to improve product quality.

Synonyms

• Midspread
• Interquartile deviation

Antonyms

• Variance

Additional Information

The interquartile range (IQR) is a robust measure of dispersion, as it is less affected by outliers compared to the standard deviation. It is often used in conjunction with the median to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a dataset’s central tendency and variability.

In data analysis, the IQR is typically used to identify the middle 50% of the data, which can help to detect patterns and trends. It is also used to calculate other statistics, such as the outlier range and the fences.

Etymology

The term “interquartile range” was first introduced in the late 19th century, derived from the Latin words “inter,” meaning “between,” and “quartilis,” meaning “fourth part.”

Usage Notes

The interquartile range is commonly used in statistics, data analysis, and research to describe the spread of a dataset. It is often used in conjunction with other statistical measures, such as the mean and standard deviation.

Cultural References

The interquartile range has been mentioned in popular culture, such as in the TV show “The Big Bang Theory,” where it is used as a plot device to explain statistical concepts.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

• Within the interquartile range
• Beyond the interquartile range

Related Words or Phrases

• Variance
• Standard deviation
• Median

Collocations

• Interquartile range of scores
• Interquartile range of data
• Interquartile range of ratings

Frequency of Use

The term “interquartile range” is commonly used in academic and research contexts, but less frequently used in everyday conversation.

Common Misspellings

• Inter quartile range
• Interquartil range
• Interquartle range