A
phrase normally
prepended to a
statement (usually a
comparison), which indicates that there exists some
correlation which is independent of other factors. Sometimes phrased as "
All else being equal."
All things being equal, men make more than women.
This tells you to ignore random factors, and fluctuation, and don't compare the 95th percentile woman to the 5th percentile man. Two people, identical but for their gender, do not have the same earning power.
Note: Read the above statement, and replace "make more" with "are stronger." Now how do you feel about the comparison?