skewness
|skew-ness|
🇺🇸
/ˈskuːnəs/
🇬🇧
/ˈskjuːnəs/
tilt / asymmetry
Etymology
'skewness' originates from English, specifically formed in Modern English by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ness' to the adjective/verb 'skew'.
'skew' developed in Middle English (from forms such as 'skewen') and is likely ultimately from Old Norse/Scandinavian roots meaning 'to turn aside' or 'to bend'; later English produced 'skewness' by combining 'skew' + '-ness'.
Initially it referred to the state of being slanted or turned aside; over time it kept that basic sense and also gained the technical statistical meaning 'measure of asymmetry'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a statistical measure of the asymmetry of a probability distribution about its mean. Positive skewness indicates a long right tail; negative skewness indicates a long left tail.
The skewness of the income distribution is positive because a small number of people earn far more than most.
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Noun 2
the quality or state of being slanted, oblique, or not straight; a tilt or slant.
Check the skewness of the window frame; if it's off, the window won't close properly.
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Noun 3
a tendency to favor one side, perspective, or outcome; a bias or distortion in information or presentation.
There is a noticeable skewness in the article toward the company's point of view.
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Last updated: 2025/11/08 01:23