1
: the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet see Alphabet Table
Examples of sigma in a Sentence
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In the following years, the Hungarian team has built up an impressive list of accomplishments, all of which point to the reality of this new particle, including statistical significance of over 6 sigma, and work with collaborators to find similar signals.
—
Paul Sutter, Space.com, 24 Dec. 2024
According to the group’s calculations, the Planck data point to a closed universe with a standard deviation of 3.5 sigma (a statistical measurement that means about 99.8% confidence that the result isn’t due to random chance).
—Rafi Letzter, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2019
Thomson and his team must reach five-sigma certainty to definitively claim a discovery.
—Quanta Magazine, 14 May 2015
Historically, most industrial companies operate between three and four sigma, making them between 93% and 99.3% defect-free (these figures can vary slightly depending on the statistical model).
—Oliver Staley, Quartz at Work, 3 Sep. 2019
The gold standard for discovery is a five-sigma result, comparable to tossing 21 heads in a row.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Quanta Magazine, 18 July 2013
Typically, only five sigma is needed to call something a discovery.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 28 June 2018
Physicists and astronomers, however, aren't usually convinced that two phenomena are connected until there's no more than a one in 3.5 million, or 5 sigma, probability of a coincidence.
—Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, 12 July 2018
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Paul Sutter, Space.com, 24 Dec. 2024
According to the group’s calculations, the Planck data point to a closed universe with a standard deviation of 3.5 sigma (a statistical measurement that means about 99.8% confidence that the result isn’t due to random chance).
—Rafi Letzter, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2019
Thomson and his team must reach five-sigma certainty to definitively claim a discovery.
—Quanta Magazine, 14 May 2015
Historically, most industrial companies operate between three and four sigma, making them between 93% and 99.3% defect-free (these figures can vary slightly depending on the statistical model).
—Oliver Staley, Quartz at Work, 3 Sep. 2019
The gold standard for discovery is a five-sigma result, comparable to tossing 21 heads in a row.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Quanta Magazine, 18 July 2013
Typically, only five sigma is needed to call something a discovery.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 28 June 2018
Physicists and astronomers, however, aren't usually convinced that two phenomena are connected until there's no more than a one in 3.5 million, or 5 sigma, probability of a coincidence.
—Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, 12 July 2018
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Cite this Entry
“Sigma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sigma. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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sigma
noun
sig·ma
ˈsig-mə 
: the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet
—Σ or σ or ς
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