variance

 
Pronunciation: /ˈvɛːrɪəns/

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] the fact or quality of being different, divergent, or inconsistent: her light tone was at variance with her sudden trembling
  • the state or fact of disagreeing or quarrelling: they were at variance with all their previous allies
  • [count noun] chiefly Law a discrepancy between two statements or documents.
  • Statistics a quantity equal to the square of the standard deviation.
  • 2 US Law an official dispensation from a rule or regulation, typically a building regulation.

Origin:

Middle English: via Old French from Latin variantia 'difference', from the verb variare (see vary)