Which of the following is the best definition of outlier?

Definition #1: a value that exceeds the number of suitable data points needed for the model

Definition #2: a value that skews results because it is much higher or lower than the other data

Definition #3: a value that must be excluded from the data because it is inaccurately calculated

1 answer

The best definition of an outlier among the options provided is:

Definition #2: a value that skews results because it is much higher or lower than the other data.

This definition accurately captures the essence of what an outlier is: a data point that significantly differs from the other observations in a dataset, which can affect statistical analyses and results.

Definitions #1 and #3 do not accurately define an outlier. Definition #1 focuses on a "number of suitable data points," which isn't relevant to the concept of outliers. Definition #3 assumes that outliers are always inaccurately calculated, which is not necessarily true; outliers can be legitimate observations that are simply extreme values.