Stat

Stat is a common shorthand with several distinct meanings across different domains.

In statistics, stat or statistics refers to the discipline that deals with collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data. It covers study design, data collection, and methods for summarizing data (descriptive statistics) as well as inferring conclusions about populations (inferential statistics). A statistic is a numerical summary derived from data, while statistics as a field provides models and techniques for understanding uncertainty, variation, and relationships among variables.

In medicine, stat indicates urgency. When a clinician writes or says something should be done stat, it means immediately or without delay, often in orders, treatments, or interventions. The term comes from the Latin statim, meaning immediately, and is widely used in hospital settings to convey the need for rapid action.

In computing, stat is a command in Unix-like operating systems that reports file or file system status. The command displays metadata such as size, permissions, ownership, and timestamps for a specified file or directory, helping users understand a file’s attributes and state.

Stat is also the name of a health and science news outlet launched by a major media organization in recent years, focusing on reporting about medicine, biology, and related policy issues. This usage reflects the prominence of the term in information and data-driven contexts.

Overall, the meaning of stat depends on context: a field of study and data-based methods, a medical directive, a computing utility, or a media brand.