cor ‧ re ‧ la ‧ tion /ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃ ə n, ˌkɒrɪˈleɪʃ ə n $ ˌkɔː-, ˌkɑː-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: correlatio , from Latin com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + relatio 'relation' ]
[uncountable and countable] a connection between two ideas, facts etc, especially when one may be the cause of the other
correlation between
a strong correlation between urban deprivation and poor health
strong/high/close/significant etc correlation
There is a direct correlation between the best-known brands and the best-selling brands.
correlation with
There’s also some correlation with social class.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a significant correlation
There is no significant correlation between age and work performance.
▪ a strong/high/close correlation
They found evidence of a high correlation between drinking and violence.
▪ a direct correlation
Research shows a direct correlation between TV viewing and poor academic work.
▪ a clear/obvious correlation
There is a clear correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
▪ a positive correlation (=showing that two things are likely to exist together)
They found a positive correlation between good diet and life expectancy.
▪ a negative correlation (=showing that two things are not likely to exist together)
Is there a negative correlation between a person's weight and the distance they walk on an average day?
■ verbs
▪ show a correlation
Studies have shown a correlation between recession and property crime.
▪ find a correlation
Researchers failed to find any correlation between the two.
▪ observe a correlation
A correlation has been observed between untidiness and creativity.
▪ a correlation exists between something and something
A strong correlation exists between social class and exam success.