correlate

Definition

To correlate means to have a relationship with something else. In science, correlation is used to describe how two or more variables are related to each other.

Let's say you have a pet dog and you notice that the dog always seems to be hungry when you eat. This is an example of correlation. The two variables are "eating" and "hunger". They are correlated because they tend to go together.

How can the word be used?

The correlation between smoking and lung cancer is well-established.

Different forms of the word

Noun: correlation (plural: correlations).

Adjective: correlated.

Verb: to correlate.

Adverb: correlatively.

Etymology

The word "correlate" comes from the Latin word "cor-" meaning "together" and "relatio" meaning "relation." It was first used in English in the 1640s to mean "the secondary term of a relation, that to which something is related." In the 1740s, the word began to be used more generally to mean "to be reciprocally related.".

Question

Can you give an example of the type of data which needs to correlate to prove a theory?