Okuzeka
Statistics vocabulary · Regression and Correlation

Least squares

Meaning in statistics, with examples

nounCommon term

In statistics, least squares means: A method of fitting a line or model by choosing the parameter values that make the sum of the squared residuals as small as possible.

In Turkish: en küçük kareler, en küçük kareler yöntemi

How it is used

The standard way to estimate a linear regression, usually called ordinary least squares (OLS). Economists often say 'an OLS regression' or 'we estimated the model by OLS'. Variants include weighted and generalised least squares.

Example sentences

  1. The coefficients were estimated by ordinary least squares.

  2. Least squares is very sensitive to outliers, so we also tried a robust method.

Common collocations

  • ordinary least squares
  • least squares estimate
  • least squares line
  • weighted least squares
  • estimate by OLS
  • linear regressionA regression method that models the outcome as a straight-line function of one or more predictors, estimating an intercept and one slope per predictor.
  • residualThe difference between an observed value and the value a model predicts for that observation; it shows how far the model misses each data point.
  • regression coefficientA number in a regression model showing how much the outcome is expected to change when a predictor increases by one unit, with the other predictors held constant.
  • regressionA family of methods for modelling how an outcome variable changes with one or more predictor variables, used both to explain relationships and to make predictions.

More terms: Regression and Correlation

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: