Origin: Greek prefix para-
Parameter has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
a constant in the equation of a curve that can be varied to yield a family of similar curves
"By adjusting the parameter in the quadratic equation, we generated a whole family of parabolas that all shared the same vertex but opened at different widths."
any factor that defines a system and determines (or limits) its performance
"The new software update introduced several parameters that significantly limit how many users can connect simultaneously during peak hours."
a quantity (such as the mean or variance) that characterizes a statistical population and that can be estimated by calculations from sample data
"The researcher adjusted the parameter to better reflect the true variance of the population based on the new sample data."
A value kept constant during an experiment, equation, calculation or similar, but varied over other versions of the experiment, equation, calculation, etc.
"The researcher held temperature constant as a parameter while systematically varying pressure to observe its effect on reaction rates."
In plain English: A parameter is a specific value or setting that defines the limits of something.
"The programmer adjusted the parameter to make the calculation faster."
Usage: Use parameter to describe a fixed value that defines the scope of a mathematical model or scientific experiment while other variables change. Do not use it as a synonym for variable, which refers to a quantity that is allowed to vary within a system.
The word parameter comes from the French and Latin forms of an ancient Greek phrase meaning "a measure beside." It entered English with this original sense of a line or value placed alongside another to define limits.