What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
statistic
Example
The statistic shows that 80% of students passed the exam. [statistic: noun]
Example
She is studying statistics at university. [statistics: plural noun]
datum
Example
One datum point does not provide enough evidence to support the hypothesis. [datum: singular noun]
Example
The researcher collected several data points to analyze the trend. [data: plural noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Statistic is more common and versatile than datum in everyday language. Statistic is used in various contexts, such as news, sports, and business, while datum is more commonly used in academic and research contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between statistic and datum?
Datum is more formal than statistic. It is commonly used in academic and research contexts, while statistic can be used in both formal and informal contexts.