central limit theorem

noun

: any of several fundamental theorems of probability and statistics that state the conditions under which the distribution of a sum of independent random variables is approximated by the normal distribution

especially : one which is much applied in sampling and which states that the distribution of a mean of a sample from a population with finite variance is approximated by the normal distribution as the number in the sample becomes large

Examples of central limit theorem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many discrete genes of moderate to small effect upon a trait can produce a continuous distribution via the central limit theorem. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above