has part categorical measurement datum categorical variable Alejandra Gonzalez-Beltran Philippe Rocca-Serra qualitative factor Orlaith Burke https://onlinecourses.science.psu.edu/stat503/node/7 a categorical variable is a variable which that can only assume a finite number of value and cast observation in a small number of categories discrete variable http://udel.edu/~mcdonald/statvartypes.html nominal variable variable ready for release