VARIANCE

variation, variance

(noun) an activity that varies from a norm or standard; “any variation in his routine was immediately reported”

variance

(noun) an official dispensation to act contrary to a rule or regulation (typically a building regulation); “a zoning variance”

variability, variableness, variance

(noun) the quality of being subject to variation

discrepancy, disagreement, divergence, variance

(noun) a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions; “a growing divergence of opinion”

variance

(noun) the second moment around the mean; the expected value of the square of the deviations of a random variable from its mean value

division, variance

(noun) discord that splits a group

discrepancy, variance, variant

(noun) an event that departs from expectations

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

variance (countable and uncountable, plural variances)

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.

(law) A discrepancy between two legal documents.

(law) A departure from a cause of action originally in a complaint.

(statistics) The second central moment in probability.

(physics, chemistry, biology) The number of degrees of freedom in a system.

(computing, programming) Covariance and contravariance generally.

Source: Wiktionary

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Va"ri*ance, n. Etym: [L. variantia.]

1. The quality or state of being variant; change of condition; variation.

2. Difference that produce dispute or controversy; disagreement; dissension; discord; dispute; quarrel. That which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate author of their variance. Shak.

3. (Law)

Definition: A disagreement or difference between two parts of the same legal proceeding, which, to be effectual, ought to agree, -- as between the writ and the declaration, or between the allegation and the proof. Bouvier. A variance, in disagreement; in a state of dissension or controversy; at enmity. "What cause brought him so soon at variance with himself" Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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