parameter
parameter
[pəˈramɪtə]
noun
[pəˈramɪtə]
noun
- (technical)a numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation
(技)参（变）数；参（变）量
■(Mathematics)a quantity whose value is selected for the particular circumstances and in relation to which other variable quantities may be expressed
(数)参数
■(Statistics)a numerical characteristic of a population, as distinct from a statistic of a sample
(统计)人口参数
■(in general use) a limit or boundary which defines the scope of a particular process or activity
（普通用法）范围，界限
the parameters within which the media work.
媒体的活动范围。
- mid 17th cent.: modern Latin, from Greek para- 'beside' + metron 'measure'
- Until recently, use of the word parameter was confined to mathematics and related technical fields. Since around the mid 20th century, however, it has been used in non-technical fields as a technical-sounding word for ‘a limit or boundary’, as in they set the parameters of the debateThis use, probably influenced by the word perimeter, has been criticized for being a weakening of the technical sense. However, it is now generally accepted as part of standard English
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