outlier
outlier Lexical Profile
outlier Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A data point or observation in a statistical sample that differs significantly from other values in the dataset.
"The researcher removed the extreme outlier from the dataset before calculating the average household income."
A person or thing that stands apart from others of its group or kind, especially by being unconventional, exceptional, or atypical.
"Her innovative teaching style made her an outlier among the traditional faculty members."
In geology, an isolated patch of younger rock strata completely surrounded by older rock formations, typically resulting from erosion.
"Geologists mapped the sandstone outlier that stood miles away from the main plateau."
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 17th century from the obsolete verb 'outlie' (meaning to sleep or live outdoors), formed from 'out-' + 'lie' + '-er'. It originally referred to a person living outside the boundaries of a parish or an animal straying from the herd, before being adopted into geology in the 19th century and statistics in the early 20th century.