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Definition of "variance" []

  • The act of varying. (noun)
  • The state or quality of being variant or variable; a variation. (noun)
  • A difference between what is expected and what actually occurs. (noun)
  • The state or fact of differing or of being in conflict. See Synonyms at discord. (noun)
  • Law A discrepancy between two statements or documents in a proceeding. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "variance" in a sentence
  • "Perhaps the matter in variance is a secret, not fit to be divulged to any, much less to be brought upon the stage before the country; and therefore end it privately, that it may not be discovered."
  • "Looking at the bottom graph, it appears the variance is a bit less than 5%."
  • "If an exception or variance is needed, then the rules need changing."