variance
Say it: VAIR-ee-uns /ˈvɛərɪəns/ · noun
What “variance” means
How widely results spread around their average.
More precisely: How spread out results are around the average; in everyday use, a difference or discrepancy.
Example: “High variance in delivery times frustrates customers more than slow but predictable ones.”
When to use it
In statistics, for the spread around an average; in formal everyday language, for a difference from an expected amount.
It can also mean
In everyday use, a difference between an expected amount and the actual amount.
Similar words
variability, spread, fluctuation
Quick check
Two bakers produce loaves with the same average weight, but one's loaves differ much more from that average. That baker has greater…
variance or accuracy?
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variance
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