What defines an ordinal variable?

An ordinal variable is characterized by a clear ordering of its categories. This means that the values of an ordinal variable can be ranked in a meaningful way; for instance, a survey that asks respondents to rate satisfaction levels as "unsatisfied," "neutral," or "satisfied" demonstrates this property. Although the categories show an order of preference or quality, the differences between them are not necessarily equal. For example, the gap in satisfaction between “neutral” and “satisfied” may not be the same as between “unsatisfied” and “neutral.”

The other options highlight characteristics of different types of variables. A variable that has no intrinsic ordering is classified as nominal. Variables with equally spaced intervals are known as interval variables, where the differences between values are meaningful and consistent. A continuous range typically describes interval or ratio variables, where the values can assume an infinite number of ranges within a given scale. Therefore, understanding the unique properties of ordinal variables is essential in distinguishing them from these other types.