Categorical Variable

A Categorical Variable is a variable whose range is a categorical set.

• AKA: Nominal Variable, Discrete Variable.
  • …
• Example(s):
  • a Boolean Variable.
  • a Categorical Random Variable.
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • an Ordinal Variable.
  • a Continuous Variable.
  • an Interval Variable.
• See: Discrete Variable, Categorical Attribute, Categorical Function.

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References

2007

• http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/mult_pkg/whatstat/nominal_ordinal_interval.htm
  • QUOTE: A categorical variable (sometimes called a nominal variable) is one that has two or more categories, but there is no intrinsic ordering to the categories. For example, gender is a categorical variable having two categories (male and female) and there is no intrinsic ordering to the categories. Hair color is also a categorical variable having a number of categories (blonde, brown, brunette, red, etc.) and again, there is no agreed way to order these from highest to lowest. A purely categorical variable is one that simply allows you to assign categories but you cannot clearly order the variables. If the variable has a clear ordering, then that variable would be an ordinal variable, as described below.

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