Ordinal variables are a type of categorical variable that possess a meaningful order or ranking among their categories. Unlike nominal variables, which have no inherent order, ordinal variables allow for comparisons based on their relative positions. For example, a survey response scale such as “poor,” “fair,” “good,” and “excellent” represents an ordinal variable, as the categories can be arranged in a specific order of quality. This ordering is crucial in various fields, including psychology, social sciences, and market research, where understanding the degree of preference or opinion is essential for analysis and decision-making.