bell curve

noun

plural bell curves
: the symmetrical bell-shaped curve of a normal distribution : normal curve
Along the hilly slopes of the bell curve, most values—the data points that track whatever is being measured—are clustered around the middle. The average value is also the most common value.David A. Shaywitz

Examples of bell curve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The law is represented by a bell curve with low arousal (or stress) on the left side and high arousal on the right side. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 During the 92nd Congress, the bell curves overlapped by roughly 25 percent -- that is, there were a significant number of Democrats who were more conservative than some Republicans and many Republicans who were more liberal than some Democrats. R. Glenn Hubbard, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013 The ideological distribution of voting patterns within each party resembles a bell curve, with the Democratic bell toward the left side of the spectrum and the Republican curve toward the right side. R. Glenn Hubbard, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013 In reality, the severity of conditions such as depression, substance dependence and social anxiety varies across the population following the pattern of the classic bell curve. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bell curve 

Word History

Etymology

from the shape

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bell curve was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near bell curve

Cite this Entry

“Bell curve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bell%20curve. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on bell curve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!