What is the term for a data point that is distinctly separate from all others in a data set?

An outlier is defined as a data point that differs significantly from other observations in a dataset. Outliers may occur due to variability in the measurements, experimental errors, or they may indicate a novel phenomenon. Identifying outliers is crucial in data analysis, as they can heavily influence statistical measures such as the mean and standard deviation, potentially skewing the results and leading to misleading conclusions.

In contrast, the mean refers to the average of all data points, the median is the middle value in a sorted list of numbers, and the range measures the difference between the highest and lowest values in a dataset. None of these terms encompass the concept of a data point that is distinctly separate from the rest of the dataset, which is precisely why the term "outlier" is the correct answer. Understanding outliers helps in assessing the integrity of the data and ensuring accurate analysis.