| Term | Definition |
| Population | A collection, or set, of individuals, objects or events whose properties are to be analyzed. There are two kinds of populations: finite or infinite. |
| Sample | A subset of the population. |
| Data (singular) | The value of the variable associated with one element of a population or sample. This value may be a number, a word, or a symbol. |
| Data (plural) | The set of values collected for the variable from each of the elements belonging to the sample. |
| Experiment | A planned activity whose results yield a set of data. |
| Parameter | A numerical value summarizing all the data of an entire population. |
| Statistic | A numerical value summarizing the sample data. |
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