What does skewing mean?
Skewing means twisting, distorting, or turning something away from its true, balanced, or intended course. The word is especially common in discussions of data, research, news, and public arguments: a report can skew results, a presentation can skew a debate, and a design process can skew the shape of an object. In ordinary conversation, the expression often suggests that someone has introduced a bias, whether deliberate or accidental, so that the result favors a particular interpretation. Skewing can also have a more literal meaning of turning or arranging something at an angle, as in geometry, design, or image editing. Although the base verb “skew” is more concise and familiar in many contexts, “skewing” is useful when describing an ongoing process or the distortion itself. It carries a generally serious or critical tone and is particularly suited to contexts involving accuracy, fairness, perspective, and interpretation.
To twist, turn, or distort something away from its true, balanced, or intended direction or position; to introduce bias into information, results, or an account.
"The committee was criticized for skewing the discussion toward its preferred proposal."
Often used in journalism, research, statistics, design, and technical contexts.
The act of twisting, distorting, or biasing something, especially information, results, or an arrangement.
"The skewing of the data made the findings difficult to interpret."
This noun use is less common than the verbal use but is standard in formal writing.
The plural is possible but uncommon.
"The report documented several separate skewings of the original data."
Skewing can quietly turn a small bias into a distorted conclusion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skewing come from?
“Skewing” is the present-participle and gerund form of “skew,” a word attested in Middle English for turning aside or being oblique. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though it is associated with an older Germanic tradition of describing something turned or bent away from a straight line. Related English forms include “skewer” and “skewness,” both developed within the same word family.
Related word forms
How skewing is actually used
The word is common in formal and technical writing, especially in journalism, statistics, design, and image processing. In general use, it often implies that information or an argument has been deliberately or unfairly distorted.