parameter: Meaning and Definition of

pa•ram•e•ter

Pronunciation: (pu-ram'i-tur), [key]
— n.
    1. a constant or variable term in a function that determines the specific form of the function but not its general nature, as a in f(x) = ax, where a determines only the slope of the line described by f(x).
    2. one of the independent variables in a set of parametric equations.
  1. a variable entering into the mathematical form of any distribution such that the possible values of the variable correspond to different distributions.
  2. a variable that must be given a specific value during the execution of a program or of a procedure within a program.
  3. Usually,limits or boundaries; guidelines: the basic parameters of our foreign policy.
  4. characteristic or factor; aspect; element: a useful parameter for judging long-term success.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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