What does "parameter" mean?
A value kept constant during an experiment, equation, calculation, or similar, but varied over other versions of the experiment, equation, calculation, etc.
Parameter
/pəˈɹæm.ə.tɚ/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A value kept constant during an experiment, equation, calculation, or similar, but varied over other versions of the experiment, equation, calculation, etc.
- Grammar: parameter is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: argument, abc, activity feature, appropriate setting.
- Useful contrasts: constant, constant value, estimator.
- Usage evidence: You can't describe the result of a non-parametric test with a statistical parameter such as variance.
How to use "parameter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "parameter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "parameter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "parameter" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "parameter" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "argument" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A value kept constant during an experiment, equation, calculation, or similar, but varied over other versions of the experiment, equation, calculation, etc.
"As molecular surface-to-surface contacts control both solution phenomena and surface phenomena, it is not surprising that various correlations of cohesion parameters and surface phenomena can be found."
- 2 a constant in the equation of a curve that can be varied to yield a family of similar curves wordnet
- 3 A variable that describes a property or characteristic of some system (material, object, event, etc.) or some aspect thereof.
"Cohesion parameters (solubility parameters) can be used with full theoretical justification to characterize many surfaces ..."
- 4 a quantity (such as the mean or variance) that characterizes a statistical population and that can be estimated by calculations from sample data wordnet
- 5 A variable that describes a property or characteristic of some system (material, object, event, etc.) or some aspect thereof.; Any measured quantity of a statistical population that summarises or describes an aspect of the population.
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 (computer science) a reference or value that is passed to a function, procedure, subroutine, command, or program wordnet
- 7 A variable that describes a property or characteristic of some system (material, object, event, etc.) or some aspect thereof.; A variable of a model that is trained by a machine learning algorithm.
"The parameter estimation problem considered in this chapter consists of estimating the unknown parameter, ū [a barred v, actually], given N samples of the observation process."
- 8 any factor that defines a system and determines (or limits) its performance wordnet
- 9 An input variable of a function definition, that gets an actual value (argument) at execution time.
- 10 An actual value given to such a formal parameter. broadly
- 11 A characteristic or feature that distinguishes something from others.
- 12 In the ellipse and hyperbola, a third proportional to any diameter and its conjugate, or in the parabola, to any abscissa and the corresponding ordinate.
"The parameter of the principal axis of a conic section is called the latus rectum."
- 13 Clipping of uniformizing parameter. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 14 The ratio of the three crystallographic axes which determines the position of any plane.
- 15 The fundamental axial ratio for a given species.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You can't describe the result of a non-parametric test with a statistical parameter such as variance."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "parameter"?
Common synonyms include: argument, abc, activity feature, appropriate setting, barometer, bodily indicator.
How do you use "parameter" in a sentence?
You can't describe the result of a non-parametric test with a statistical parameter such as variance.
How do you pronounce "parameter"?
Pronounced /pəˈɹæm.ə.tɚ/.
Etymology
From French paramètre, from New Latin parametrum (“parameter”), from Ancient Greek παρα- (para-, “beside”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”).