absolute deviation absolute deviation /ˈæbsəˌluːt diːviːˈeɪʃn/

noun

1. In statistics, the absolute difference between an element of a data set and a given point.  ( absolute deviation )
   In statistics, the absolute difference between an element of a data set and a given point.
    This average absolute deviation gives the average distance of any data item from the mean and thus is a good measure of spread.
   This average absolute deviation gives the average distance of any data item from the mean and thus is a good measure of spread.