Glossary term
Mode: Meaning and Definition
Reviewed and approved by Dr. Anamika ShrivastavaPublished Last updated
The mode is the value that occurs most often in a data set. It shows the most typical or popular value and is the only average usable for qualitative data. A data set may have one mode, several modes or none. For grouped data the modal class has the highest frequency.
In more detail
The mode is the only average that works for categories, such as the most popular brand. A data set can have two modes (bimodal) or none. In a symmetric distribution the mean, median and mode coincide; in a skewed one they separate, with the median usually between the other two.
Example
In the data 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5 the mode is 4, which occurs twice. For a shoe shop, the mode of sizes sold shows which size to stock most.
Key points
- Continuous: mode = L + D1/(D1 + D2) × h.
- May be absent or not unique.
- Mode = 3 median − 2 mean is an approximate relation.
Common mistake
Assuming every data set has exactly one mode.
Related terms
Where it is explained
This term is explained in Class 11 Statistics Chapter 5: Measures of Central Tendency.