autocorrelation

noun

au·​to·​cor·​re·​la·​tion ˌȯ-tō-ˌkȯr-ə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce autocorrelation (audio)
-ˌkär-
: the correlation between paired values of a function of a mathematical or statistical variable taken at usually constant intervals that indicates the degree of periodicity of the function

Examples of autocorrelation in a Sentence

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Statistical analyses confirmed significant spatial autocorrelation, particularly on days with higher bioturbation activity. Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 Such a trend would have a negative autocorrelation — the average tends to revert to the mean over time. G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024 When autocorrelation is too high, a model is not reacting enough to movement in the underlying data. G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2023 Ever since the 1984 result, one technique that had proved fruitful was to look at the amount of overlap a candidate set of points has with a shifted copy of itself, using something called an autocorrelation function. Anna Kramer, Quanta Magazine, 19 July 2023 The problem is one that regular readers may remember: autocorrelation, also known as non-independence of observations. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2018 One main root of the problem is spatial autocorrelation - the fact that the fMRI signal tends to be similar (correlated) across nearby regions. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2016

Word History

Etymology

auto- + correlation

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of autocorrelation was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near autocorrelation

Cite this Entry

“Autocorrelation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocorrelation. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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