# variance

/ˈvɛɹiəns/ (US) · /vˈeəɹiəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/variance
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. difference or change

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the state of being different or the act of changing.

For teachers: the quality or state of being variable; the act of varying or changing from a standard.

- There is a lot of variance in the weather patterns this year.
- The study noted a significant variance in student performance across different socioeconomic backgrounds, suggesting that external factors played a major role.

### 2. discrepancy or deviation

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

a difference between what you expected to happen and what actually happened.

For teachers: a discrepancy between two statements, documents, or between an expected value and an observed result.

- The accountant found a small variance between the budget and the actual spending.
- A detailed audit revealed a substantial variance between the projected quarterly earnings and the actual revenue generated by the overseas branches.

### 3. statistical spread

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a number that shows how spread out a set of data is.

For teachers: the square of the standard deviation; a measure of how far a set of numbers is spread out from their average value.

- The scientist calculated the variance to see how much the test results differed.
- In probability theory, variance measures the degree to which a random variable deviates from its expected mean, providing a foundation for risk assessment.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun in mathematical contexts.

### 4. legal permission

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

official permission to do something that is usually not allowed by the rules.

For teachers: an official permit to depart from the requirements of a zoning ordinance or regulation.

- The builder had to apply for a variance to build a taller house than the law allowed.
- The city council granted the developer a zoning variance, allowing for the construction of a commercial facility in a primarily residential district.

### 5. at variance (in conflict)

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

to be in disagreement or conflict with something else.

For teachers: the state of being in disagreement or conflict; typically used in the prepositional phrase 'at variance with'.

- His actions were at variance with his promises to help the community.
- The witness's testimony was found to be at variance with the physical evidence collected at the scene, leading the jury to doubt his credibility.

Usage: Almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'at variance with'.

## Examples

- There is a lot of variance in the test scores.
- The committee noticed a significant variance between the estimated budget and the actual spending for the project.
- While the two species appear identical to the naked eye, genetic variance reveals that they diverged several million years ago due to geographic isolation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.