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Data Science & Analytics vocabulary · Exploratory Analysis

Seasonality

Meaning in data science & analytics, with examples

/ˌsiːzəˈnæləti/nounCommon term

In data science & analytics, seasonality means: A regular pattern in data that repeats over a fixed period, such as higher sales every December, more traffic on weekdays or a dip every summer.

In Turkish: mevsimsellik, dönemsellik

How it is used

Analysts adjust for seasonality before comparing periods, which is why they compare a month with the same month last year. Weekly and yearly patterns are the most common. Periods on the lunar calendar, such as Ramadan, move about 11 days earlier each year, which complicates comparisons.

Example sentences

  1. Sales are down from November, but that's normal seasonality, not a real problem.

  2. The forecast model needs to handle both weekly and yearly seasonality.

Common collocations

  • weekly seasonality
  • adjust for seasonality
  • seasonal pattern
  • seasonally adjusted
  • time seriesA set of measurements of the same thing recorded in order at regular time intervals, such as daily revenue or hourly website visits.
  • trendThe general direction in which a value moves over a period of time, such as a steady rise in sales, ignoring short-term ups and downs.
  • anomalyA data point or pattern that clearly differs from what is expected, such as a sudden spike in sign-ups or a day with no orders at all.
  • line chartA chart that connects data points with a line to show how a value changes over time, such as monthly revenue or daily sign-ups.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Exploratory Analysis

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