variance

noun

ˈver-ē-ən(t)s How to pronounce variance (audio)
Definition of variancenext
as in friction
a lack of agreement or harmony persistent variance within the rock band eventually caused it to break up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun variance contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of variance are conflict, contention, discord, dissension, and strife. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

In what contexts can conflict take the place of variance?

The meanings of conflict and variance largely overlap; however, conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

Where would contention be a reasonable alternative to variance?

While the synonyms contention and variance are close in meaning, contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When is discord a more appropriate choice than variance?

The words discord and variance can be used in similar contexts, but discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When would dissension be a good substitute for variance?

In some situations, the words dissension and variance are roughly equivalent. However, dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

When is it sensible to use strife instead of variance?

While in some cases nearly identical to variance, strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of variance This is due to wide variances in the efficiency of the gas-collection systems, according to the report. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 Farke will hope this is a spell of the data variance going against them, with, hopefully, a regression to the mean to come. —Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 To resolve this issue, the team developed a criterion that estimates the overlap between the prepared input state and the true ground state using the energy and energy variance of the initial state. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026 Being in a state of stress, for example, may shape the structure of neural variance — influencing the magnitude or degrees of freedom. —Conor Feehly, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for variance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variance
  1. friction
  2. discord
  3. discordance
  4. conflict
  5. strife
  6. discordancy
  7. war
  8. dissent
Noun
  • Later, romantic Venus squares transformative Pluto, stirring friction about recognition and resources in groups.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The challenge is not to retreat from circulation, but to insist that circulation be thought through, grounded in specific places and their conditions, and accountable, open to friction, contamination, and transformation rather than insulated coherence.
    — Manuela Moscoso, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of friction
Noun
  • But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Immediately after the Hamas attack, the mood at Beth El was sombre, but there were few signs of discord.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of discord
Noun
  • Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2025
  • The sport of off-roading suffers from a fundamental discordance: The desire to get out into nature and the irreparable harm inherent in the process of off-roading.
    — Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025
Definition of discordance
Noun
  • Earlier Monday, Turkey's defense ministry announced that the alliance's air defenses deployed in the eastern Mediterranean had, for a fourth time during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, intercepted an Iranian missile that had entered its airspace.
    — Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Neither has served in an active military capacity during the current conflict.
    — Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • In providing that space for both music and wellness, sound healing brings audiences into a collective world for escape from both the external strife of the world and their own messy interiority.
    — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • This has actually caused a lot of internal strife within the community.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of strife
Noun
  • The discordancy is so intriguing — like learning that Katharine Graham went to nude encounter sessions at Esalen, or Alan Greenspan was once in a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Definition of discordancy
Noun
  • The president promised Wednesday evening the war was in the best interest of the American people.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Iran war is increasing Keller ISD costs Rising utility costs play a part in the financial strain.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • These are horrible conditions for meaningful dissent.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Sotomayor filed a dissent, which was joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
    — Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of dissent

Phrases Containing variance

Browse Nearby Words

variably
variance
variances
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Cite this Entry

“Variance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variance. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on variance

Nglish: Translation of variance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about variance

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