Adjacent Words

Variance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VA'RIANCE, n. [See Vary.]
1. In law, an alteration of something formerly laid in a writ; or a difference between a declaration and a writ, or the deed on which it is grounded.
2. Any alteration or change of condition.
3. Difference that produces dispute or controversy; disagreement; dissension; discord. A mere variance may become a war. Without a spirit of condescension, there will be an everlasting variance.
1. At variance, in disagreement; in a state of difference or want of agreement.
2. In a state of dissension or controversy; in a state of enmity.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an event that departs from expectations [syn: discrepancy, variance, variant]
2: discord that splits a group [syn: division, variance]
3: the second moment around the mean; the expected value of the square of the deviations of a random variable from its mean value
4: a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions; "a growing divergence of opinion" [syn: discrepancy, disagreement, divergence, variance]
5: the quality of being subject to variation [syn: variability, variableness, variance] [ant: invariability, invariableness, invariance]
6: an official dispensation to act contrary to a rule or regulation (typically a building regulation); "a zoning variance"
7: an activity that varies from a norm or standard; "any variation in his routine was immediately reported" [syn: variation, variance]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 14th century 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 Synonyms: see discord

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 difference of opinion; dispute, disagreement; lack of harmony (at variance among ourselves; a theory at variance with all known facts). 2 Law a discrepancy between statements or documents. 3 Statistics a quantity equal to the square of the standard deviation. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L variantia difference (as VARY)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Variance Va"ri*ance, n. [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) 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(variances) 1. If one thing is at variance with another, the two things seem to contradict each other. (FORMAL) Many of his statements were at variance with the facts... PHRASE: v-link PHR, oft PHR with n 2. The variance between things is the difference between them. (FORMAL) ...the variances in the stock price. = variation N-VAR: usu with supp

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Alteration, change of condition. 2. Disagreement, difference, discord, dissension, jarring, strife. 3. (Law.) Variation, want of conformity (as between the writ and the declaration, or between the allegation and the proof).

Moby Thesaurus

agreement to disagree, alienation, antagonism, apostasy, argument, argumentation, at variance, change, clashing, conflict, contention, contradiction, contrariety, contrast, controversy, counter-culture, cross-purposes, debate, departure, deviation, difference, difference of opinion, difficulty, disaccord, disaccordance, disagreement, disapprobation, disapproval, disconformity, discongruity, discord, discordance, discordancy, discrepancy, discreteness, disharmony, disparity, dispute, dissatisfaction, dissension, dissent, dissentience, dissidence, dissimilarity, dissonance, distinction, distinctness, disunion, disunity, divergence, divergency, diversity, dividedness, division, dropping out, faction, far cry, fluctuation, heterogeneity, in disagreement, in dispute, inaccordance, incompatibility, incongruity, inconsistency, inconsonance, inequality, inharmoniousness, inharmony, irreconcilability, jarring, minority opinion, misunderstanding, mixture, negation, nonagreement, nonassent, nonconcurrence, nonconformity, nonconsent, odds, opposition, oppugnancy, otherness, polarization, quarrel, recusance, recusancy, rejection, repudiation, repugnance, rift, schism, secession, separateness, separation, severing, strife, unconformity, underground, unharmoniousness, unlikeness, unorthodoxy, variation, variegation, variety, withdrawal