English Lexicon

Confounder

/kənˈfaʊndər/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #15000 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A variable that influences both the dependent variable and independent variable, causing a spurious association.

    "In a study examining the effects of exercise on weight loss, diet may act as a confounder."
  2. 2

    In research, a confounder is a factor that distorts the perceived relationship between two other variables.

    "The researchers identified several confounders that needed to be controlled for in their analysis."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'confounder' originates from the Latin 'confundere', meaning 'to pour together'. It evolved in the 17th century to denote a factor that confuses or obscures the relationship between variables in statistical analysis.

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