Glossary term
Variable: Meaning and Definition
Reviewed and approved by Dr. Anamika ShrivastavaPublished Last updated
A variable is a characteristic or quantity that can take different values from one observation to another, such as height, income or the number of children in a family. Variables are discrete when they take separate values, usually whole numbers, and continuous when they can take any value within a range.
In more detail
The type of variable decides the method. A discrete variable with few values can be listed in a frequency array; a continuous variable is grouped into classes and shown as a histogram. A constant, in contrast, never changes. A characteristic like gender is called an attribute rather than a variable in strict statistics, and is counted by category.
Example
The number of students in a class is a discrete variable. The time a student takes to reach school, which could be 17.4 minutes, is a continuous variable.
Key points
- Discrete: separate values, often counts.
- Continuous: any value in a range, often measured.
- The type decides how data are grouped and graphed.
Common mistake
Treating a measured quantity such as weight as discrete.
Related terms
Frequency distributionClass interval
Where it is explained
This term is explained in Class 11 Statistics Chapter 3: Organisation of Data.