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Glite Dictionary
first moment

first moment

1 7.2
The average of a set of numbers that you get by adding them and dividing by how many there are
  • noun
  • /fɜrst ˈmoʊmənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : primer momento

Examples

  • There was no first moment of the universe, and no time slice in which there was no universe.

    Blog text (2)

  • The first moment of recognition comes quite unexpectedly when the town blacksmith tells him that he knew from the start that he was Jewish.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The first moment can be dated from the late 1950s through the early 1960s; that is, the late colonial period through the early years of independence.

    Academic text (1992)

  • From the first moment we knew what had transpired, we were deeply aggrieved, and in keeping with the teachings of our faith, we prayed for the departed.

    Blog text (1)

  • In statistics class, we learned that the first moment of a data set is calculated by adding all the values and dividing by the total number of entries.

  • The teacher explained that finding the first moment is essential for understanding the average of the results in a survey.

  • To calculate the first moment of the test scores, you add each score together and divide by how many scores there are.

Synonyms

mean
vsfirst moment
  • Specialized
29 3.5

The average of a set of numbers

is an alternative technical label used in mathematical statistics
expectation
vsfirst moment
  • Specialized
27 7.9

The average value from many results of a random event

is the general arithmetic average used for simple data sets
expected value
vsfirst moment
  • Specialized
2 6.6

You find the average result you expect by adding each possible outcome times its chance

is the unweighted simple average rather than a probability weighted one
mean value
vsfirst moment
  • Specialized
1 3.4

The average of numbers found by adding them and dividing by how many there are

is the plain average found by summing and dividing by count
arithmetic mean
vsfirst moment
  • Specialized
1 3.0

A number you get when you add numbers and divide by how many numbers there are

is the broader statistical term for this same calculation

Surface Forms

first moment singular
first moments plural

Morphology

first + moment

The meaning is compositionally derived: applying the ordinal 'first' to the statistical term 'moment' (expectation) yields the first-order moment, i.e. the mean. Although technical, this is a regular, predictable combination used in statistics and in many languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The term first moment comes from the image of a balance: imagine each number as a weight on a seesaw, and the first moment is the spot where the seesaw balances. That's why the first moment tells the data's 'mean'.