variance

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
variance/ˈveəriəns/

▶noun

• 1 (usu. in phr. at variance with) the fact or quality of being different or inconsistent.

  ■ the state of disagreeing or quarrelling.

  ■ chiefly Law a discrepancy between two statements or documents.

• 2 US Law an official dispensation from a rule or regulation.

• 3 Statistics a quantity equal to the square of the standard deviation.