Ordinal variables are a type of categorical variable where the values have a meaningful order or ranking. For example, in a survey, responses like satisfied, neutral, and dissatisfied represent an ordinal scale, as they indicate a progression in levels of satisfaction. However, the differences between these categories are not necessarily uniform or measurable. These variables are commonly used in various fields, including social sciences and market research, to analyze preferences or opinions. Unlike nominal variables, which have no inherent order, ordinal variables allow researchers to understand the relative standing of different categories, making them useful for comparative analysis.