absolute error

noun

mathematics
: the absolute value of the difference between an observed value of a quantity and the true value
The difference between true length and measured length is called the error of measurement or absolute error.Edwina Deans et al., Extending Mathematics, 1968

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of absolute error was in 1775

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Cite this Entry

“Absolute error.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absolute%20error. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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