What does skewed mean?
“Skewed” means distorted, uneven, or systematically biased. Its most important modern use is in discussions of data, surveys, statistics, markets, and public opinion: a skewed result is not necessarily false, but it has been influenced by an imbalance, a selective method, or an unrepresentative sample. The word can also describe a physical object that is tilted or out of alignment, and it may indicate that something has developed unevenly, with one group or component advancing more quickly than another. The term often carries a negative implication because it suggests that a supposed overall picture is misleading. However, in technical contexts such as statistics, it can describe a recognized distribution rather than simply an error. “Skewed” is thus useful whenever the central issue is not just that something differs from normal, but that the difference creates distortion, imbalance, or bias.
Distorted, uneven, or biased; especially influenced in a way that makes a result misleading or unrepresentative.
"The analyst warned that the chart could give a skewed impression of regional income."
Common in formal and analytical contexts for systematic bias or imbalance; also used for something tilted or unevenly arranged.
To turn or cause to turn unevenly; to develop or become distorted or biased.
"The survey design skewed the findings toward older respondents."
Usually used in analytical or causal contexts, with a subject such as a result, process, distribution, or system.
A survey can be “skewed” even when every respondent answered honestly: a biased sample can turn sincere answers into a misleading picture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skewed come from?
The word comes from the verb “skew,” which originally referred to turning sideways or moving off a straight line. Its modern sense of distortion and statistical bias developed by extension from physical misalignment to uneven or biased results. The word is related to “skewer,” both traditionally being associated with turning or setting at an angle. “Skewness” is a later noun formed from the same source and became an important term in statistics.
Related word forms
How skewed is actually used
In academic, statistical, and analytical contexts, “skewed” is a precise term for systematic imbalance or bias. It can also describe something tilted or uneven, though “askew” is more common for that physical sense.
Easily confused with skewed
“Skew” is the underlying condition or shape, while “skewed” describes something that has been distorted, uneven, or made biased.
“Askew” specifically means at an angle or out of alignment, whereas “skewed” can also describe bias or systematic distortion in data or opinion.