Statistically

How to spell statistically

13 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce statistically

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does statistically mean?

1. adverbIn terms of statistics; according to numerical data or probability.

Statistically in a sentence

• The new treatment is statistically more effective than the old one.

• Statistically speaking, most small businesses fail within five years.

Where does statistically come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Latin status, meaning 'state' or 'condition', the same root that gives us 'state' and 'status'. In the eighteenth century German scholars coined Statistik to describe the systematic collection of facts about the state, things such as population, trade, and taxation, and the related noun 'statist' once simply meant a person skilled in matters of state. English absorbed 'statistics' in the late 1700s, narrowing the sense to the mathematical study of numerical data. From the noun came the adjective 'statistical', and adding the familiar adverb ending '-ly' produced 'statistically', meaning 'with regard to statistics'. The long, layered tail of suffixes (-ic, -al, -ly) stacked onto the root is exactly what makes the spelling feel cumbersome, since every syllable after the stressed 'tis' fades to a schwa.

How the word is built

• statist- (from status: state, condition)
• -ic (relating to)
• -al (adjective)
• -ly (adverb suffix)