Logistic
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A logistic function or graph of a logistic curve. countable
- 2 The art of calculation. obsolete, uncountable
- 3 Sexagesimal arithmetic. obsolete, uncountable
- 1 Relating to symbolic logic. not-comparable
- 2 Relating to logistics. not-comparable
- 3 Relating to the logistic function. not-comparable
- 4 Using sexagesimal fractions, especially in arithmetic or logarithms. not-comparable, obsolete
- 5 Relating to basic arithmetic. not-comparable, obsolete
"If we compare the calculus of a triangle, by the logistic logarithms …"
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- 6 Skilled in calculating. not-comparable, obsolete
- 7 Proportional. not-comparable, obsolete
- 1 of or relating to logistics wordnet
Example
More examples"The influence of covariates on the primary outcome variable was explored using logistic regression."
Etymology
From French logistique, from Ancient Greek λογιστικός (logistikós, “practiced in arithmetic; rational”), from λογίζομαι (logízomai, “I reason, I calculate”), from λόγος (lógos, “reason, computation”), whence English logos, logic, logarithm, etc.; modern mathematical use influenced by related logarithmic. Sense of “logistic function” by Pierre François Verhulst (1845) in French, then borrowed into English. Verhulst does not explain his choice of naming, but he contrasts it with the logarithmic curve (also from λόγος (lógos)), and it is presumably by analogy with arithmetic and geometric (other divisions of mathematics), as his discussion of arithmetic growth and geometric growth precede his discussion of logistic growth. The term logistic and logistical also found occasional mathematical use in English prior to 1800, from the same Greek origin.
From French logistique, from loger (“to lodge”) or logis (“lodging place”).
Related phrases
More for "logistic"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.