variance in WordNet English dictionary

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