# Outlier

> A chart word, with the charts that use it.

**Definition.** An outlier is a value far from the rest, drawn on its own so it is not hidden. It can be an error or the most important point on the chart.

Updated Nov 2, 2026

## 043 · Box plot

- **01 The whiskers.** The usual range of values.
- **02 An outlier.** A dot beyond the whisker, drawn on its own.

## Where you see it

- [043 · Box plot](https://usechartory.com/charts/box-plot): Distribution · AI data
- [034 · Scatter](https://usechartory.com/charts/scatter): Relationship · Crypto data

## Common mistakes

- **Deleting outliers to tidy the chart** Check them first: they may be the story.
- **Letting one outlier set the scale** One huge value squashes the rest. Fit the axis to the bulk and mark the outlier.

## Questions

### How is an outlier defined in a box plot?

Usually a value more than 1.5 times the box's height beyond the box.

### Should outliers be labelled?

Yes, when people will ask what they are.

## Related terms

- [Whisker](https://usechartory.com/glossary/whisker): The line from a box to the lowest and highest values that are not outliers.
- [Quartile](https://usechartory.com/glossary/quartile): The values that cut sorted data into four equal parts; the box in a box plot.
- [Median](https://usechartory.com/glossary/median): The middle value: half the data sits above it, half below.
- [Distribution](https://usechartory.com/glossary/distribution): How values spread across a range: where they cluster and where they thin out.

## Box plot, scatter and the other types.

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