law of averages
noun
- noun (statistics) The statistical tendency toward a fixed proportion in the results when an experiment is repeated a large number of times.
- noun (informal) An imaginary or perceived "law" of probabilities which is wrongly used to predict results in the short-term. “This coin has landed on heads ten times, so by the law of averages it must land on tails next time.”
- noun A real or purported law from centuries past regarding the distribution of recompense after a loss at sea due to an act of God, said by some (but not others) to explain why the word average evolved a sense having to do with means, medians, modes, etc.
Synonyms
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “law of averages”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details