error bar

noun

: the estimated uncertainty in experimental data

Examples of error bar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, there are big error bars on either side of the actual cost of making a room look like a five-star hotel. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 The most rigorous work is academic, and its central conclusion is that everyone else's numbers need error bars. — Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 That said, there’s enough uncertainty with the team’s direction that the error bars are wide here. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Astronomy is rarely an exact science; the error bars are often big. — Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for error bar

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of error bar was in 1968

Rhymes for error bar

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Browse Nearby Words

error
error bar
error in judgment
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Cite this Entry

“Error bar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/error%20bar. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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