nominal variable

[ˈnɒmɪnəl ˈvɛriəbəl]
nounfemininepl: nominal variables / variáveis nominais
variável nominal
1. A categorical variable in statistics that represents data divided into distinct categories with no inherent order or ranking; categories can only be named or labeled, not measured or compared numerically
Gender is a nominal variable because its categories (male, female, non-binary) have no natural ordering or numerical value.
Gênero é uma variável nominal porque suas categorias (masculino, feminino, não-binário) não têm uma ordem natural ou valor numérico.
2. A type of qualitative variable used in statistical analysis where the data consists of names, labels, or categories without quantitative meaning
In the survey, brand preference is treated as a nominal variable with categories like Apple, Samsung, and Google.
Na pesquisa, preferência de marca é tratada como uma variável nominal com categorias como Apple, Samsung e Google.
This is technical terminology primarily used in academic, research, and statistical analysis contexts in both Brazil and the United States. It is fundamental to university-level statistics, social sciences, and data analysis courses. In Brazil, the term is widely taught in engineering, psychology, and business programs. The concept is crucial for understanding research methodology and data analysis in both Brazilian and American academic institutions.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
categorical variablequalitative variablediscrete variablenominal data
Antonyms / Antônimos
continuous variablequantitative variablenumerical variableordinal variableinterval variable

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
variável nominal
Standard term used in Brazilian statistics and research contexts
São Paulo
variável nominal / variável categórica
Both terms are commonly used in academic and business settings
Rio de Janeiro
variável nominal
Preferred term in academic circles and UFRJ statistics departments
Portugal
variável nominal
Same terminology used; part of standard statistical vocabulary across Portuguese-speaking academic institutions

Related Words

ordinal variablescale of measurementcategorical datafrequency distributionchi-square testclassification

Related Idioms & Phrases

nominal scale
classification system
categorical classification
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