systematic error

noun

: an error that is not determined by chance but is introduced by an inaccuracy (as of observation or measurement) inherent in the system

Examples of systematic error in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its platform automatically stress-tests AI models, analyzing how predictions are made, and finding patterns that lead to systematic errors: think blindspots and hallucinations. Alex Christian, WIRED, 14 Oct. 2024 But over the past week, results from NASA’s new JWST orbiting observatory suggest the problem may be more mundane: some systematic error in the strategies used to measure the distance to nearby galaxies. Bydaniel Clery, science.org, 13 Aug. 2024 Another source of systematic error is experimenter bias. Luke Caldwell, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 Cognitive biases are systematic errors in our thinking that influence our judgment, often leading us to make irrational choices. Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 8 May 2023 The machine that measures A1C levels may also have a systematic error in measuring A1C levels with a different type of hemoglobin. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023 If so, animal studies of painkillers or drugs with painful side effects could contain systematic errors, simply because of the makeup of a laboratory’s staff. Sonia Shah, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2023 The bump credibility took another hit when it was pointed out that it could be explained away by a simple (although completely hypothetical) systematic error -- a miscalibration of the jet energies. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2011 Even ideas in prestigious journals can sometimes be explained away as systematic error, but that’s the way science works. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'systematic error.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of systematic error was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near systematic error

Cite this Entry

“Systematic error.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/systematic%20error. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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