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variance

noun
var·​i·​ance | \ ˈver-ē-ən(t)s How to pronounce variance (audio) \

Definition of variance

1 : the fact, quality, or state of being variable or variant : difference, variation yearly variance in crops
2 : the fact or state of being in disagreement : dissension, dispute
3 : a disagreement between two parts of the same legal proceeding that must be consonant
4 : a license to do some act contrary to the usual rule a zoning variance
5 : the square of the standard deviation
at variance
: not in harmony or agreement
Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about variance

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Choose the Right Synonym for variance

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony. discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism. a political party long racked by discord strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved. during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires. the conflict of freedom and responsibility contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy. several points of contention about the new zoning law dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions. religious dissension threatened to split the colony variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest. cultural variances that work against a national identity

Examples of variance in a Sentence

There was some variance in the results. We noticed a slight variance between the quality of the samples. He had to get a variance to add a garage on to his house.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The problem is that the definition of food deserts vary, and as such there can be a decent variance in population numbers for how the range is set for a desert definition. — Natalie Hanson, The Mercury News, "California’s food deserts, insecurity can worsen after wildfires," 3 Sep. 2019 There are small variances on the restaurants’ menus. — Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, "Disney Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge designed with subtle differences in its 2 versions," 27 Aug. 2019 Keep in mind, both models do their best when the low pressure has actually formed and until then, there will be wild variances in their forecasts. — Gene Norman, CNN, "Tropical system may be forming in the Gulf," 7 July 2019 Most likely, this is some variance of a friendship/sweetheart scam. — cleveland.com, "Nurse suspects letter from late patient’s husband is a scam: Money Matters," 26 June 2019 For cities like Los Angeles, which has a higher minimum wage, there are variances. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Southern California grocery workers say yes to a strike if contract talks stall," 26 June 2019 Patients undergoing a far less painful procedure — a lumpectomy to remove a breast tumor — were given an average of 26 pills in 2016, with little variance from year to year. — STAT, "While addiction crisis raged, many surgeons overprescribed opioids, analysis shows," 21 June 2019 Hastings said village code prohibits offsite signage and would require a variance from the village board. — Rick Kambic, chicagotribune.com, "Libertyville working with George Garner Cyclery on plan to add self-service bike repair stations around town," 20 June 2019 The utility is seeking a variance from DNR’s recently applied mercury limits. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin has cut mercury pollution of its lakes. Climate change puts those gains at risk.," 14 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'variance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of variance

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for variance

Middle English variaunce "change, variety, discrepancy," borrowed from Anglo-French variance, borrowed from Latin variantia, "diversity, variety," from variant-, varians variant entry 1 + -ia -ia entry 1

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More Definitions for variance

variance

noun

Financial Definition of variance

What It Is

Variance is a statistical measure of how much a set of observations differ from each other.

In accounting and financial analysis, variance also refers to how much an actual expense deviates from the budgeted or forecast amount.

How It Works

For example, let's say Company XYZ stock has the following prices:

The average of these prices is $21.33. To calculate the variance, we see how "far away" each day's stock price is from $21, like this:

Notice that some of the differences are negative. Because we're going to calculate the average difference, the negative numbers create a mathematical problem (they'll offset the positive numbers and screw up the calculation). To avoid this, we square each difference so that each difference is positive, like this:



The last step is simply calculating the average of those squared differences, which is $9.42, and then taking the square root of that number to get the amount by which Company XYZ stock tends to vary from its average price.

The square root is $3.07, meaning that when Company XYZ deviates from that $21 average, it tends to do so by about $3.07.

Why It Matters

Variance is a measure of volatility because it measures how much a stock tends to deviate from its mean. The higher the variance, the more wildly the stock fluctuates. Accordingly, the higher the variance, the riskier the stock.

Source: Investing Answers

variance

noun
How to pronounce variance (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of variance

formal : an amount of difference or change
law : an official decision or document that allows someone to do something that is not usually allowed by the rules

See the full definition for variance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

variance

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