parameter (par|am¦eter)

noun

• 1 technical a numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation: there are three parameters by which a speaker is able to modify the meaning of the utterance—pitch, volume, and tempo
• Mathematics a quantity whose value is selected for the particular circumstances and in relation to which other variable quantities may be expressed.
• Statistics a numerical characteristic of a population, as distinct from a statistic of a sample.

• 2a limit or boundary which defines the scope of a particular process or activity: the parameters within which the media work