What is the term used to describe the degree to which data are spread out around their center?

The term that describes the degree to which data are spread out around their center is known as "variation." Variation encompasses measures that quantify how much the data points in a dataset differ from each other and from the central tendency measure, such as the mean. This characteristic is crucial for understanding the distribution of data, as it allows one to assess not only the average value but also the extent to which the values diverge from that average.

While standard deviation does represent a specific measure of variation, it is just one tool used to evaluate how spread out the data is. The mean provides a central value of the data, and the mode indicates the most frequently occurring value in a dataset. However, neither the mean nor the mode conveys information about the dispersion of the data like variation does. Thus, "variation" serves as the broader term encompassing all aspects of data spread.