spurious correlation

ˈspjʊriəs ˌkɔːrəˈleɪʃən

Definition

Definition of spurious correlation - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

mathematics

TECH.

misleading link between two unrelated variables

TECH.

The study showed a spurious correlation between ice cream sales and shark attacks.
Economists warned about a spurious correlation in the data.
He misunderstood the spurious correlation in the report.

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Expressions with spurious

on spurious grounds

adv.

for reasons that are not true or valid

He was dismissed on spurious grounds.

Expressions with correlation

indirect correlation

connection where one thing affects another indirectly

There is an indirect correlation between exercise and happiness.

direct correlation

link where two measures move in the same direction

Ice cream sales and temperature often show a direct correlation.

coefficient of correlation

statistic showing how two variables are related

The coefficient of correlation was calculated to be 0.85.

correlation coefficient

number showing how two things change together

The correlation coefficient for height and weight is 0.8.

correlation matrix

table showing correlation coefficients between variables

The correlation matrix revealed strong relationships between the variables.

first-order correlation

relationship between two variables without other influences

The first-order correlation between height and weight was studied.

Kendall rank correlation

nonparametric measure of agreement between two rankings

The Kendall rank correlation was used to compare the rankings.

multiple correlation coefficient

statistical measure of relationship strength between variables

The multiple correlation coefficient was high, indicating a strong relationship.

negative correlation

relationship where one variable increases as the other decreases

There is a negative correlation between price and demand.

nonlinear correlation

connection between two quantities that does not follow a straight-line pattern

The data showed a nonlinear correlation between dose and response.

View all translations of spurious correlation

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:corrélation fallacieuse, ...
German:Scheinkorrelation, ...
Italian:correlazione ingannevole, ...
Spanish:correlación espuria, ...
Portuguese:correlação espúria, ...
Chinese:虚假相关, ...
Japanese:疑似相関, ...
Arabic:ارتباط زائف, ...
Hebrew:קֶשֶׁר מַטְעֶה, ...
Russian:ложная корреляция, ...
Ukrainian:хибна кореляція, ...
Hindi:भ्रामक सहसंबंध, ...
Bengali:আপাত সম্পর্ক, ...
Catalan:correlació espúria, ...
Czech:zdánlivá korelace, ...
Danish:spuriøs korrelation, ...
Dutch:valse correlatie, ...
Greek:ψευδής συσχέτιση, ...
Hungarian:látszólagos korreláció, ...
Khmer:សហសម្ពន្ធក្លែងក្លាយ, ...
Korean:잘못된 상관관계, ...
Persian:همبستگی کاذب, ...
Polish:pozorna korelacja, ...
Portuguese (BR):correlação espúria, ...
Romanian:corelație falsă, ...
Swedish:skensamband, ...
Thai:สหสัมพันธ์ลวง, ...
Turkish:yanıltıcı ilişki, ...
Vietnamese:tương quan giả, ...

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

100,000 expressions & idioms Understand any expression you come across: from corporate jargon like 💬 touch base or ↩️ circle back to everyday expressions such as 🌊 out of the blue or 🦆 lame duck, as well as idioms like 🍲 spill the beans and 🐎 hold your horses.

40,000 images When you search for a concrete noun or object, images help you grasp the meaning at a glance. Try searching for 🧵 puppytooth, 🎠 merry-go-round, ⚜️ fleur-de-lys, or 💤 bunk bed.

Informal language & slang Everyday conversations are packed with informal expressions and slang. Meanings are clearly tagged, so you'll always know when a word is casual. Look up hangry (😋 hungry + 😡 angry), 😎 rizz, 🕹️ noob, or 🔑 low-key.

Abbreviations & acronyms Quickly decode modern abbreviations and acronyms. Go from IDK to OMG in seconds and stay up to date with popular abbreviations such as 🐐 GOAT, 📜 tl;dr, 👀 POV, or 🖥️ AFK.

Regional usage (US / UK) Reverso highlights regional differences between American and British English. You’ll never have to wonder where a word is commonly used: try lift vs. elevator, courgette vs. zucchini, or popular British slang like dodgy or banter. What’s more, when you search for 'color', you’ll immediately see its British counterpart, 'colour'.

Get more than a simple definition

Translations for each meaning View translations alongside each meaning to see how a word is translated in each context. Simply toggle translations ON and choose among 25+ languages. You can also display the translation of definitions or examples into your native language to deepen your understanding.

Synonyms & related words by meaning View synonyms and related words for each meaning, not just for the word as a whole. This helps you choose the most accurate word for your context. Click the

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.

Multiple examples for every meaning Each meaning comes with three real-life examples to show you how the word is used in different contexts. Click the

icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.

Go from understanding to mastery

Save words for later review Click the

icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the

icon next to it. For example, you might want to save the word “table” as a verb, which means “to postpone”.

Practice with personalized flashcards Reverso automatically transforms your searches and saved words into personalized flashcards and quizzes, featuring high-quality audio and usage examples. This helps you transform terms you only recognize into words you actually use confidently.

Learn with Netflix, YouTube, and your favorite texts With Reverso Chrome extension, transform movies, TV shows, articles, or song lyrics into an interactive lesson. Look up words and expressions in one click on any website and learn with your favorite content.