指兩個或多個事物之間相互關聯或共同變化的關係。
統計關係
EN: A statistical measure that indicates the extent to which two or more variables fluctuate together.
翻譯: 一種統計度量，表示兩個或多個變量共同變化的程度。
相互關聯
EN: A mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.
翻譯: 兩個或多個事物之間的相互關係或連結。
因果推論（注意）
EN: Often used to describe a connection, but it does not necessarily imply causation.
翻譯: 常用於描述關聯性，但未必意味著因果關係。
小提醒：記住：correlation（相關性）不等於 causation（因果關係）。兩件事一起發生，不一定表示其中一件導致了另一件。
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Correlation" from YouTube Videos
Dalia Mogahed: The attitudes that sparked Arab Spring
TED
“The answer is no. We found absolutely no correlation, no impact whatsoever between these two variables.”
1. a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things
兩個或多個事物之間的相互關係或聯繫
There is a strong correlation between regular exercise and good health.
規律運動與身體健康之間有很強的相關性。
The study found no correlation between the two variables.
該研究發現這兩個變數之間沒有相關性。
2. (statistics) a measure of the extent to which two variables change together
（統計學）衡量兩個變數共同變化程度的指標
The correlation coefficient indicates the strength and direction of a linear relationship.
相關係數顯示了線性關係的強度和方向。
A positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well.
正相關意味著一個變數增加時，另一個變數也傾向於增加。
3. the process of establishing a connection or correspondence between things
建立事物之間聯繫或對應關係的過程
The correlation of data from different sources was a complex task.
將來自不同來源的數據進行關聯是一項複雜的任務。
Her job involves the correlation of market trends with consumer behavior.
她的工作涉及將市場趨勢與消費者行為進行關聯分析。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| correlation + between + N1 + and + N2 | 兩個事物之間的相關性 | There is a strong correlation between exercise and health. (運動與健康之間有很強的相關性。) |
| correlation + of + N1 + with + N2 | 某事物與另一事物的相關性 | The study examined the correlation of sugar intake with obesity. (這項研究檢視了糖分攝取與肥胖的相關性。) |
| show/demonstrate a correlation | 顯示/證明相關性 | The data demonstrates a clear correlation. (數據顯示出明確的相關性。) |
| positive/negative correlation | 正相關/負相關 | We observed a negative correlation between price and demand. (我們觀察到價格與需求之間存在負相關。) |
| high/strong/low/weak correlation | 高度/強烈/低度/微弱的相關性 | There is only a weak correlation between the two variables. (這兩個變數之間只有微弱的相關性。) |
EN:There is a significant correlation with economic growth.
翻譯:這與經濟增長有顯著的相關性。
在正式學術或專業寫作中，優先使用 "correlation between A and B" 來表達兩個變數之間的統計關係。
correlation vs causation
「correlation」指兩個變數之間的統計關聯，而「causation」則表示一個變數直接導致另一個變數的變化。兩者常被混淆，但有關聯不代表有因果關係。
correlation vs relationship
「correlation」特指可量化、有方向（正/負）的統計關聯，而「relationship」的含義更廣泛，可指任何類型的關聯，包括質性或因果關係。
correlation vs connection
「correlation」強調的是數據或變數間可量化的統計關聯，而「connection」則更通用，可指邏輯、實體或抽象上的連結。
在對話中，當你引述或轉述他人的觀點、研究發現或普遍看法時，可以用 "correlation" 來客觀地指出關聯性，而非斷言因果。 EN: So, the article you mentioned points out a correlation between sleep quality and productivity, right? 翻譯: 所以，你提到的那篇文章指出了睡眠品質和生產力之間的相關性，對吧？
EN:I heard the doctor say there's a strong correlation, but she was careful not to call it a cause.
翻譯:我聽到醫生說有很強的相關性，但她很謹慎地沒有稱之為原因。
在非正式討論中，可以透過重音或重複來強調關聯性的強度或重要性，以引起聽者注意。 EN: That's not just a minor link—it's a significant correlation we can't ignore. 翻譯: 那不只是個微小的連結，而是我們不能忽視的顯著相關性。
EN:The correlation here is really, really strong, so it's worth looking into.
翻譯:這裡的相關性真的非常、非常強，所以值得深入研究。
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，可以用 "correlation" 作為一個填充詞，引導出接下來要說明的具體關係。 EN: Well, the correlation... you know, between how much we practice and our final scores, is pretty clear. 翻譯: 嗯，這個相關性... 你知道的，就是練習量和我們最終分數之間的關係，是相當明顯的。
EN:It's about the correlation—uh, let me think—between social media use and reported anxiety levels.
翻譯:這是關於相關性—呃，讓我想想—是社群媒體使用和回報的焦慮水平之間的關係。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式書面報告中，應避免將 "correlation" 用作填充詞或帶有過多口語強調。應精確、簡潔地陳述相關性，並明確區分其與因果關係的不同。
correlation between
correlation between A and B
A與B之間的相關性
positive correlation
positive correlation
正相關
negative correlation
negative correlation
負相關
strong correlation
strong correlation
強相關
show a correlation
show/demonstrate a correlation
顯示出相關性
correlation coefficient
correlation coefficient
相關係數
spurious correlation
spurious correlation
虛假相關
×There is a correlation among the two variables.
✓There is a correlation between the two variables.
Use 'between' for exactly two items. 'Among' is used for three or more items.
×The correlation of smoking and lung cancer is high.
✓The correlation between smoking and lung cancer is high.
The standard preposition with 'correlation' is 'between' when linking two things. 'Of' is incorrect in this context.
×A correlation doesn't mean a causation.
✓Correlation does not imply causation.
This is a famous statistical principle. The standard phrasing is 'Correlation does not imply causation.' Using 'a' before 'correlation' and 'causation' is incorrect in this fixed expression.
×We observed a positive correlation, so we can conclude the marketing caused the sales increase.
✓We observed a positive correlation, but we cannot conclude the marketing caused the sales increase (correlation does not prove causation).
A common logical error is to assume correlation proves causation. The note should explicitly state that correlation alone is not sufficient evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship.
×The data shows correlation.
✓The data shows a correlation. / The data shows a strong/weak/positive/negative correlation.
'Correlation' is typically a countable noun in this context and requires an article (a/the) or a quantifier. It is often modified to describe its strength or direction.
×His theory has a high correlation with the experimental results.
✓His theory has a high degree of correlation with the experimental results. / His theory correlates highly with the experimental results.
While understandable, it's more idiomatic to say 'a high degree of correlation' or to use the verb 'correlate'. 'Has a high correlation' sounds slightly off, as correlation is a measure, not a possession.