variance.

variation or difference; in statistics, a measure of spread based on squared deviations from the mean

Use it for

Words that belong together

• sample variance
• explain the variance
• at variance with

On the page

The second sample had a larger variance.

The model explains only part of the variance in outcomes.

The account is at variance with the surviving records.

Usage notes

Primary curation section: Academic. Statistical variance is not the standard deviation, though the two are related. At variance with means in disagreement with. Plural: variances. Related adjective: variant, different grammatical role.