choric

Choric is an adjective meaning related to a chorus or to choral performance. The term derives from the Greek khoros, meaning a chorus or dance, and it is used in artistic, literary, and scholarly contexts to describe features associated with a chorus or with choral singing.

In music and drama, choric passages are portions of a work performed by a chorus rather than by a soloist. In ancient Greek tragedy and other choral traditions, the chorus provides commentary, narration, and reflection, often through choric odes. In modern usage, choric elements may appear in works designed for a group vocal ensemble, emphasizing collective voice and texture within the musical structure.

In statistics, choric correlation refers to the estimated correlation between two latent continuous variables underlying observed ordinal variables. The calculation assumes an underlying bivariate normal distribution and uses the observed ordinal data to infer the latent correlation. Choric correlations are part of a broader family that includes tetrachoric and polychoric correlations and are widely used in psychometrics and social science research.

Choric is often contrasted with choral, the latter more commonly used to describe things pertaining to a choir or to choral singing in general. Related terms include chorus, choral works, Greek tragedy, and the statistical concepts of tetrachoric and polychoric correlations.