sesgo
nounCEFR B2
What does “sesgo” mean in English?
bias, slant
bias, slant (a systematic distortion or inclination that skews thinking, data, or reporting; sesgo de confirmación)
Example sentences
El sesgo de confirmación nos lleva a buscar únicamente la información que confirma lo que ya creemos, ignorando los datos que nos contradicen.
Confirmation bias leads us to seek only the information that confirms what we already believe, ignoring data that contradicts us.
Ningún medio de comunicación es completamente neutro; todos presentan algún sesgo, ya sea ideológico, comercial o cultural.
No media outlet is completely neutral; all present some bias, whether ideological, commercial, or cultural.
Los algoritmos pueden amplificar sesgos existentes en la sociedad si se entrenan con datos no representativos.
Algorithms can amplify existing biases in society if they are trained on unrepresentative data.
How to use it
El sesgo means 'bias' — a systematic slant, distortion, or inclination that skews thinking, data, or reporting in a particular direction. It covers both cognitive bias (sesgo cognitivo, sesgo de confirmación) and structural bias (sesgo institucional, sesgo algorítmico). Distinguish from prejuicio (prejudice: a preconceived negative judgement about people) — sesgo is more epistemological and can be unconscious or structural, while prejuicio implies a moral failing. Common collocations: sesgo de confirmación, sesgo inconsciente, tener/presentar un sesgo, corregir el sesgo.
Common mistake
Sesgo (cognitive/structural slant) vs prejuicio (preconceived moral judgement about people). 'Unconscious bias training' = formación sobre sesgos inconscientes (NOT *formación sobre prejuicios inconscientes in most professional contexts, though overlap exists). Don't confuse with inclinación (inclination, tendency) which is weaker and less systematic. El sesgo can also mean 'slant' in a physical/geometric sense (cut on the bias), but the abstract sense is primary at B2.