# Discrete variable

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Definition
 Discrete variable A variable that can take on only a finite number of values. All qualitative variables are discrete; some quantitative variables are discrete (such as performance rated as 1,2,3,4, or 5, or temperature rounded to the nearest degree). A variable that can take on an infinite number of possible values is known as continuous. Sometimes, a variable that takes on enough discrete values may be considered to be continuous for practical purposes. One example is time to the nearest millisecond.

## Examples

The following are examples of discrete variables:

• Gender
• Eye color (brown, blue, green, hazel)
• Age in years
• Number of days it snowed
• Number correct on a 5-question test

# Web Resources

 Statistics Online Computational Resource - Types of Data Online Statistics: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study, Chapter: 1. Introduction, Section: Variables

## Acknowledgements

Portions of this entry were adapted from