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frequency

(NL: frequentie)

The frequency of a value of a variable in a data set or sample is the number of times that value occurs.

We distinguish on the one hand the absolute frequency (= the actual number) and on the other hand the relative frequency (= what percentage of the total number of observations takes this value, as a fraction between 0 and 1).

The frequencies of each unique value occurring in the sample are summarized in a frequency table. A frequency table that summarizes the frequencies of the combination of the values of two variables is also called a contingency table, or crosstab.