variance

Meanings

Plural: variances

Noun

• an event that departs from expectations
• discord that splits a group
• the second moment around the mean; the expected value of the square of the deviations of a random variable from its mean value
• a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
• the quality of being subject to variation
• an official dispensation to act contrary to a rule or regulation (typically a building regulation)
  • "a zoning variance"
• an activity that varies from a norm or standard
• The act of varying or the state of being variable.
• A difference between what is expected and what is observed; deviation.
• The state of differing or being in conflict.
• An official permit to do something that is ordinarily forbidden by regulations.
• A discrepancy between two legal documents.
• A departure from a cause of action originally in a complaint.
• The second central moment in probability.
• The number of degrees of freedom in a system.
• Covariance and contravariance generally.

Synonyms

disagreement, discrepancy, divergence, division, variability, variableness, variant, variation

Antonyms

invariability, invariableness