Categorical variables are variables that represent categories or groups and have a limited number of distinct values. These values are usually qualitative and describe characteristics or attributes.
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Categorical variables can be either nominal or ordinal.
Nominal variables have no inherent order, such as colors or types of animals.
Ordinal variables have a meaningful order, like rankings or levels of education.
Bar charts and pie charts are commonly used to visualize categorical data.
Categorical data can sometimes be converted into numerical codes for analysis.
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Related terms
Nominal Variable: A type of categorical variable with no intrinsic ordering among its categories, such as blood type or gender.
Ordinal Variable: A type of categorical variable where the categories have a meaningful order, such as class ranks or satisfaction levels.