statistics
stuh-TIS-tiks/stəˈtɪstɪks/
- 1Numbers and facts collected about something, such as how many people live in a place.
Like a scorecard that keeps track of facts about a whole group of people.
The government published new statistics on unemployment last month.
These statistics show that the town's population is growing fast.
UsageSay these statistics are. One number is a statistic.
Note
- 2The study of how to collect, organize, and understand numbers and facts.
Like a detective who uses numbers instead of clues to find the truth.
She studied statistics in college to learn how to read data.
Statistics helps doctors figure out which treatments work best.
UsageThe subject takes is: statistics is hard.
Note
Use it in a sentence
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Origin
From German Statistik, used by Gottfried Achenwall in the 1740s to mean the study of data about the state.
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Statistics comes from German Statistik. en.wiktionary.org
- Achenwall publicly used the term in 1748. The sources disagree about whether he coined it. statistik.bayern.de
- The term meant the study of data about the state. en.wikipedia.org